224- Mode of scaring small Birds. 



bottom with stone rubbish, as a drain to keep the roots dry ; 

 filling up with a compost of loam, peat earth, and leaf mould, 

 in equal quantities. In this the plant was placed, and in the 

 beginning of May showed flower stems, which rose to the 

 height of above 7 ft., bearing seventeen panicles, having above 

 twenty flowers each, and continued in flower till the middle of 

 September. 



By the same treatment I was lucky enough to flower the 

 Feratrum nigrum. This rose to the height of 5 ft., and was 

 covered with a profusion of its small brown flowers. 



I am. Sir, &c. J. Runciman. 



jyuffryn, Cardiff, S. Wales, Oct. 15. 1827. 



Art. XV. A successful Method of scaring small Birds from 

 destroying Garden Crops, and especially Peas, with some 

 Bemarks on sowing Peas. By T. L., Maida Hill. 



Sir, 



A CORRESPONDENT, in One of your late Magazines, suggests 

 a remedy for preventing birds from carrying away seeds newly 

 sown, by attaching a string horizontally to pegs stuck in the 

 ground, the string to be dipped in some composition. I have 

 no doubt of this answering the purpose ; as I have myself, for 

 some years past, used something similar with perfect success. 



Having repeatedly lost my whole crop of peas, by the birds 

 nipping off the tops immediately on their appearing above 

 ground, I, to prevent this, fix pegs in the ground, about 4 in. 

 high, and at the distance of 4 ft. from each other. To these I 

 attach a worsted thread from peg to peg, crossing them at in- 

 tervals, something like what children call " scratch cradles." 

 This effectually scares the birds, as I have not lost a pea since 

 I first adopted the plan. Seeds may^be protected in the same 

 way. 



With submission to your correspondent, it is not the com- 

 position that produces this effect, but the string only ; when 

 the birds attempt to perch on them, they are overthrown, and 

 so frightened that they never attempt it again : the worsted, 

 too, being of a clinging nature, their claws are sometimes en- 

 tangled therewith, so that with difficulty they disengage them- 

 selves. 



A word or two on sowing peas. When intended to be 

 " sticked," I never sow more than two rows together in one 

 place, and these at the distance of 3 ft. apart 1 thereby 

 obtain a much larger crop, and also a saving of ground. It is 



