110 



ih^ (Sardeiter's JHontMs. 



on it for popular papers, and addressed the local 

 government on the subject. At length I had the 

 pleasure of seeing the law again-^t the Sparrows 

 abolished in the province in which I was living. 



In spite of the ignorance of many persons, the 

 Sparrows have been introduced into Australia, Cen- 

 tral and North America. They will do so much 

 good, especially in destroying caterpillars and grub- 

 worms, that their introduction will be considered a 

 blessing. A gentleman of Hoboken City, an Amer- 

 ican by birth, told me, last fall, that the Sparrows 

 there had already very much lessened the number 

 of caterpillars infesting shade and fruit trees. 



It is true that the Sparrows are fond of green 

 peas, cherries and berries, and that they eat, occa- 

 sionally grain ; but it is also true that they do im- 

 measurably more good than harm. As the bird 

 builds its nest always on houses or other buildings, 

 and as the nest is so clumsily constructed, that large 

 matter of straw, hay and feathers proje.t from it, it 

 need never be searched after. So conspicuous is it 

 that it can, therefore, be easily destroyed ; so that 

 the number of Sparrows can be diminished at plea- 

 sure. 



The City authorities of Hoboken deserve great 

 credit for having effectually protected the Sparrows 

 by stringent laws. Would that their example were 

 imitated in other places, and that the laws did not 

 remain dead letters to increase the waste paper 1 



In this connection I would mention the European 

 Starling, [Sturnus vulgaris, X.,) and the Chal^inch. 

 [Fnngilla ccdehs, L.) as very desirable birds for 

 destroying caterpillars and other insects. As, how- 

 ever, their habits are very different from those of 

 the Snarrows, their introduction would require some 

 precautionary measures. In former years I devoted 

 much time to the study of the habits of birds, and 

 I published a book on the German Singing Birds, 

 ( Braumchweig Vieweg) ; but as the publisher had 

 arbitrarily changed the title of it to that of Natu- 

 History of Cage Birds," I felt disgusted : because 

 it lowered and degraded it ; so I abandoned it alto- 

 gether. What the publisher thought would suit 

 him did not suit me. 



As a horticulturist, I am far from attempting to 

 improve the system of Botany ; as an observer of 

 the habits of Birds, I was very far from attempting 

 to improve the system of Ornithology. All I de- 

 sire and ever desired is to collect and establish facts. 

 Of birds, I studied single individuals as representa- 

 tives of their respective tribes. I put them under a 

 variety of conditions, and I tnay, in this way, have 

 been enabled to see some trifles apt to escape the no- 

 tice of theorists. 



I have some experience in introducing families 

 of birds to localities where they did nor live before; 

 but this article is already longer than I intended to 

 make it. I will, therefore, reserve what I have to 

 say on that point for anoth3r occasion, — provided 

 the readers of the Gardener s Alonfhfy f<ha\\ not feel 

 tired of reading any more aboui. birds, however 

 closely they may be connected with horticulture. 

 iSi quid noviate rectius istis, 

 Candidas imperii ; sinon^ his utere mecum. 



THE GLA12I0LUS. 



BY MR. GEO. SUCH, SOUTH AMBOY, N. J. 



The Gladiolus is so splendid a flower, and so well 

 suited to our climate, that it must soon be in every 

 garden throughout the land. Objection has been 

 made to the short duration of its flowering ; but 

 this objection is not very important, as a little man- 

 agement will give a succession of bloom from early 

 spring until severe frosts cut down the stalks. 



Last season I started Shakespeare, Walter Scott, 

 Pluto and several others, in the greenhouse early in 

 January, and these bloonied in March and April, — 

 and bloomed, too, magtiificently. Others, planted 

 at intervals of two or three weeks after these, bridged 

 over the time, until those planted outside, in May, 

 came into flower. 



From a bulb of Sliakespeare, planted late in De- 

 cember, I have (Feb. 18) the flower stalk just show- 

 ing ; and from this, and many others in various 

 stages of progress, I expect no ordinary amount of 

 satisfaction. 



I use, in potting, about one-half light sandy soil, 

 with leaf mould and old cow manure, — in the pro- 

 portion of, say, three of leaf and two of manure ; 

 adding, if at hand, a little marl and bone dust. — 

 This latter seems very beneflcial, — producing mas- 

 ses of fibrous roots equal to any demand that may 

 be made on them. I allow plenty of pot room, co- 

 vering the bulb with about an inch of soil, and 

 giving very little water at first, increasing the 

 amount as fast as the growth is vigorous enough to 

 take up the moisture rapidly, and prevent a sudden 

 and unfavorable condition of the soil. Weak ma- 

 nure water now and then, after the flower stalk ap- 

 pears, gives nature a seasonable "boost." I had 

 almost forgotten to say that a warm, greenhouse 

 temperature is what is wanted, with plenty of light 

 and air. 



Among the newer French varieties are Shakes- 

 peare and Eurydice ; easily the best among all with 

 white ground. Both are cream white, flaked and 

 feathered with various shades of rose and rosy vie- 



id 



