THROUGH THE YEAR IN A GARDEN 191 



me confess that to my mind there never was a 

 truly successful garden — strawberries notwith- 

 standing — that was not also a playground for 

 birds. Garden-makers should not forget their 

 little feathered friends. Let them plant Sun- 

 flowers with this in mind, and in the late Au- 

 tumn, when Jack Frost in sportive mood has 

 nipped the noses of all the Petunias and has 

 finally overcome even the tenacious Salvia, the 

 tall stems crowned with ripened Sunflower 

 seeds will sway with the weight of some throng 

 of finches and will seem to the birds you have 

 loved — if you have not loved your strawber- 

 ries more ! — a store of reward for their summer 

 service in keeping down the obnoxious insects 

 even though some other choice morsel does oc- 

 casionally get mixed up with their missionary 

 work! 



As trees are so much the part of the perfect 

 garden, May work is requisite to their best ap- 

 pearance. One has already to be alert in the 

 fight against the Elm-leaf beetle and elms 

 should now be sprayed in order that later war- 

 fare against these pests may prove fully ef- 

 fective. 



