135 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
the mode pursued near New-York. In this 
department of gardening, I believe Virginia 
to occupy one of the most favorable posi¬ 
tions in the States. W. Summersbey. 
Chesterfield County, Va. 
Fur the American Agriculturist. 
SOME VALUBLE BIBBS. 
In looking over the second part of the 
Patent Office Report for 1853, I see that sev¬ 
eral correspondents advocate the importa¬ 
tion of useful birds, such as the red-breast, 
black-cap, song-thrush, blackbird, skylark, 
quail, &c. There is no doubt that if an ad¬ 
dition were made to our already beautiful 
varieties, posterity would reap some benefit; 
but to insure that benefit, a suitable protec¬ 
tion should be given to them, as well as to 
those we now have. We have many birds 
that are beautiful, and of almost incalculable 
value to the farmer, to say nothing of their 
cheering songs and complete innocence in 
every respect. 
There are two varieties of sparrows that 
winter with us, and one other that*spends 
his summer only with us. Then there is the 
bluebird, the first to greet us in the early 
spring, but soon followed by the robin. 
Next there is the red-winged blackbird, the 
wren, and several varieties of swallows, with 
some half dozen other kinds whose names I 
have not yet learned. These invariably live 
on insects, or the seed of plants, except the 
robin, who, by way of recompense for the 
thousands of insects he has destroyed, makes 
an occasional dessert on ripe cherries. 
There is also another sweet, monotonous- 
toned little creature with black wings, called 
the yellow-bird, otherwise the flax-bird, be¬ 
cause he likes flax seed, and because it is 
not an unusual occurrence to see them by 
hundreds in a field of flax when the seed be¬ 
gins to get ripe. When frightened off, they 
go twittering along at every bound on their 
wing^ as they see-saw through the air. 
But they like the seeds of many plants quite 
as well, if not better, than flax-seed, among 
which are the seeds of the whole thistle 
family. And here he redeems himself, for 
he will not allow a single seed to escape, if 
he can get it. 
Then there are a great many that are not 
so particular whether they get the insect or 
larvaj; and if neither is at hand, they can 
make a meal on many kinds of fruit. The 
much-admired oriole, sometimes called the 
fiery hang-bird, and goldfinch, is not at all 
fastidious in this respect, nor is he careful 
about the number destroyed for a single 
meal; for he will thrust his bill first into one 
nice plum, and then another, until he has 
spoiled scores at a time. But he seems to 
claim this as a right, for the catterpillars 
that he has destroyed might have levied a 
greater contribution. 
There are three varieties of blackbirds 
common among us, which feed entirely on 
insects, though one of them will sometimes 
pull corn for the sake of the insects. 
There is the little merry wren, too, that 
is much persecuted in some sections from a 
mistaken notion that they destroy the eggs 
of other birds. He is one of the most use¬ 
ful birds to the horticulturist, as well as one 
of the most pleasant songsters that we have. 
His food consists mostly of that pest, the 
aphide ; but when these are not to be found, 
he hunts every leaf and catches any stray 
fly that crosses his path. To have them 
come around your premises, you have only 
to put up convenient places for them to build 
in. A box four inches square, with a round 
hole of about one and a half inches in diam¬ 
eter will do, though the little fellows do not 
object to a neat cottage. Bluebirds may be 
invited around by houses, too, as well as the 
pewee and martin. But none must be killed, 
stoned or frightened, if one wishes to hear 
them sing their most lovely songs. 
I have a number of miniature churches, 
cottages, &c., for the bluebirds and wrens, 
and they are occupied every year, but less 
last season than formerly, owing to the fact 
that they returned too early last spring to 
find a supply of food. Very many died, but 
the survivors were industrious, and I hope 
to have their places well filled the coming 
year. 
We have a statute to prevent the killing of 
many birds, but it is a dead letter, as it is 
seldom if ever enforced.. Yet I could wish 
every offender summarily punished for each 
and every transgression of the law. We 
shall never have our forests, groves, fields 
and villages what they would be, unless 
parents and teachers instruct the children 
and youth against frightening or killing birds. 
Then, and not till then, will farmers and all 
others appreciate the true value and real 
pleasure that our beautiful birds afford. 
Ornithol. 
There is another valuable bird, not men¬ 
tioned by our correspondent, which has fall¬ 
en into great disrepute with many of our 
farmers. We speak of the common crow. 
Perhaps we are too partial to k them. We 
once reared one of these birds, and a more 
curious or cunning creature we never saw. 
He became a most incorrigible thief, and 
was never so gay as when he could get hold 
of a silver spoon or some valuable article 
We used to call him Jack, a name which he 
understood and responded to as quickly as 
any child. He had a high contempt of hawks, 
and when he saw one sailing along he would 
pursue him, and rising high in air, come 
down upon him with terrible vengeance. 
Sometimes in these excursions we would 
sing out Jack ! and though high up, he would 
wheel around and come sailing down through 
the air in the most graceful manner, and 
alight upon our shoulder. In haying time he 
always accompanied us into the field, and 
amused himself in hunting grasshoppers; 
and the number he ate was surprising. Af¬ 
terwards, he would go and sit on a haycock 
and allow them to “ settle,” when he again 
renewed the war upon this insect tribe. In 
a year or two Jack disappeared, having been 
killed, we suppose, through the enmity of 
some of our neighbors to the crow-kind. 
The great objection to crows is, that they 
sometimes injure young corn ; but this may 
be easily prevented at a trifling expense, and 
the good they do, is, in our opinion, infinitely 
greater than the injury. 
New Vine Disease. —The Guieune, a Bor¬ 
deaux journal, states that another malady has 
broken out in the vines. It consists of a 
sort of scab, and has received the name of 
itch {gale). According to some persons, it 
is an old complaint which has afflicted the 
vines, though at very rare intervals; and, 
according to others, it is a modification of 
the existing malady ; but whatever the mal¬ 
ady may be, it appears that it has already 
done great injury. In the commune of Con- 
date, near Libourne, not fewer than 10,000 
plants have been killed on one single estate, 
and have had to be pulled up. A great num¬ 
ber of others, less severely attacked, have 
been cut down, in order to shoot up again. 
At Pessac, the malady lias also appeared, 
but has not done such great injury. The 
Guieune adds that in the districts of Entre- 
deux-Mers and the Bas Medoc, a small num¬ 
ber of vines has also been killed by a mala¬ 
dy the precise nature of which has not yet 
been ascertained. It further states that at 
St. Macaire the vines have been similarly at¬ 
tacked. 
COMMON THINGS. 
In raising vines from cuttings, those which 
are furnished with two eyes each will be 
sufficiently long for the purpose ; the lower 
part should be cut transversely, close to the 
bud. They should be planted singly in small 
pots filled with good mold, leaving the upper 
eye rather below the surface than above it. 
The pots should be placed either in a stove 
or in a hot-bed, allowing the plants room as 
they advance in height, and shifting them 
into larger sized pots when they have filled 
the first with roots. As the season ad¬ 
vances they may be removed into the stove 
and other hothouse, and from thence to 
the greenhouse, keeping them neatly tied up 
to sticks, and allowing them plenty of air, to 
prevent them from being drawn up weakly. 
Vines raised from single eyes require the 
same management as those from cuttings, be¬ 
ginning only with a smaller sized pot, and 
removing them into others as they gain 
strength and and require room. Those 
raised from cuttings, as well as these, should 
be kepi under glass throughout the summer, 
and a judicious application of liquid manure 
during the growing months would considera¬ 
bly promote the growth of both. 
Cauliflowers. —The seed should be sown 
now for the autumnal crop upon a gentle 
hotbed. This sowing will come in during 
August, and for a later crop the seed should 
be sown the beginning or middle of May; 
this will furnish heads in October or Novem¬ 
ber. If some of the plants of this last sow¬ 
ing be taken up and laid in like Broccoli they 
will be more secure in case of cold wet 
weather occurring at the end of the season. 
— Gardeners' Chronicle. 
THE WHITE CLOVEE. 
BY A LADY OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE. 
There is a little perfum’d flower, 
It well might grace the loveliest bower, 
Yet poet never deign'd to sing, 
Of such a humble, rustic thing. 
Nor is it strange, for it can show 
Scarcely one tint of Iris’ bow ; 
Nature, perchance, in careless hour, 
With pencil dry, might paint the flow’r; 
Yet instant blush’d, her fault to see, 
So gave a double fragrancy; 
Rich recompense for aught denied ! 
Who would not homely garb abide. 
If gentlest soul were breathing there, 
Blessings through all its little sphere 1 
Sweet flower ! the lesson thou hast taught, 
Shall check each proud, ambitious thought, 
Teach me internal worth to prize, 
Tho’ found in lowliest, rudest guise. 
