June 1, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
445 
rudiments of ornithology, even if he had never seen or heard of a 
sparrow, would say at once if one were placed in his hand, from a glance 
at its beak, that it is a seed and vegetable feeder, just as he would say 
of the soft-billed birds that they are insectivorous. And now let me 
say something else which I have seen within the last few dajs, though it 
was no novelty to me, like the destruction of Apple blossoms. I saw 
a sparrow light on the shoot of a wall Rose, pick some aphides off, 
and feed a young one close by with them. Has the value of my eyes 
as witnesses risen in Mr. Witherspoon’s estimation ? 
I have never denied or doubted that sparrows, and perhaps all birds, 
feed their young occasionally at least with insect or animal food. But, 
now look at the profit and loss view of the matter. The sparrow has 
stripped my Apple tree of blossom ; he has also taken some aphides from 
my Rose tree, not stripped it by any means. The aphides will be as 
numerous as ever in a week. There will be no Apples this year, and no 
more blossom till next spring. Moreover, I could have removed the 
aphides myself if I had been anxious to do so. No earthly power 
can put the Apple blossom back on the tree. 
As I said last week, we like to do what we can ourselves rather than 
leave it to Nature. We think we can do it with more discretion and 
more in accordance with our own particular views. As in thinning, so 
in the destruction of pests. Nature requires to be controlled. She may 
not be strong enough and so require help, or too strong and require to be 
repressed. I thought so yesterday morning, if I may use a homely 
illustration, when the man who came to clean my kitchen boiler said 
the pipes were choked and new ones must be put in, or the boiler might 
burst to the great danger of anyone near. I said “ I think it must be 
done ; it is unfortunately necessary that the cook should be occasionally 
* blown up,’ but—well, we like to do it ourselves. The operations of 
Nature are too violent and indiscriminate (I might be there myself !), 
and they must be controlled.” He agreed with me. 
But to return to our birds. As the graminivorous sparrow feeds its 
young occasionally with insect food, so the iusectivorous birds will some¬ 
times do considerable damage to soft fruit. The blackbird or thrush 
will eat impartially the slug and the Strawberry—the latter for choice, 
I fear. Starlings will eat Cherries ; the blackcap warbler is very fond 
of Raspberries, so much so that he is locally called in some places the 
Raspberry eater ; and, unkindest cut of all, the young robins of the 
year are certainly fond of Red Currants. What then? Does Mr. Wither¬ 
spoon think that I am advocating the destruction of blackcaps and 
robins ? Certainly not, this is not their natural food for the greater 
part of the year, nor will I spare the sparrow till his numbers are 
reasonably limited, because he takes a few aphides and caterpillars, 
which are not his natural food, during a month or so. 
Man was put into the garden “ to dress it and to keep it,” and one of 
the prominent parts of his “ keeping ” I should think would be to 
recognise clearly the distinction between his friends and his foes, and 
not to encourage and harbour a number of graminivorous birds on 
purpose to keep down his insects, as I understand Mr. Witherspoon does, 
when other birds have been created and appointed for that very object. 
It is well known that our highest authority on insect pests—Miss 
Ormerod—has declared against the sparrow. It is also generally 
known, I think, that the majority of insects and garden pests are 
winged in the perfect state, and celebrate their nuptials in the air ; 
and that certain of our birds, the swallow and flycatcher tribes, spend 
their whole time in destroying them in the air, and (pace Mr. Wither¬ 
spoon) do not “ devour green food if within their reach.” 
Can the sparrow make up for his misdeeds in driving away the 
martiri and appropriating his nest, by destroying a few dozen or score of 
caterpillars or grubs, when one parent insect devoured by the martin 
would represent so many more ? 
It is worthy of notice that the sparrow is getting worse ; he did not 
to my knowledge, when I was a boy, destroy Gooseberry buds, pull off 
Primroses or Apple blossoms, or take martin’s nests. I attribute his 
gradual growth in evil propensities entirely to his undue increase ; and 
his increase to the doing away of sparrow clubs, and the prevalence 
in some parts of the general views of Mr. Witherspoon. It is also 
noticeable that it was soon after the time that sparrows had made 
martins much scarcer by driving them away that the present great in¬ 
crease of caterpillars on fruit trees commenced ; but I make no charge 
where my eyes cannot prove it. 
The sparrow is a parasite, not upon man’s person but upon his 
property. Parasites upon other creatures’ belongings are not unknown 
among birds, as witness the cuckoo, for instance. What is the use of 
the sparrow ? I do not know ; but then I do not know the use of certain 
other parasites. Parasites (as ichneumon flies) upon insects are no 
doubt meant to keep them down and prevent their undue increase. If 
sparrows are meant to keep down gardeners, then let the gardeners have 
fair play and fight for themselves. I object to the sparrow laying eggs 
upon me and eating me up ; but Mr. Witherspoon need not fear exter¬ 
mination. The sparrow is smart, even in England, and no wonder that 
after a little education he has become smarter still among the Yankees. 
He will be a clever man who catches “ the last one.”— W. R. Raillem. 
[Forty years ago the hordes of sparrows in a district denuded fruit 
bushes of their buds in spite of cotton (black and white), of soot and 
lime, and cats. They drove swallows and martins from their nests, and 
ruined yellow Crocuses, w’hile in one particular instance an allotment 
holder had a rood of Wheat of fine promise ; the sparrows devoured the 
whole of it, and the cottager had nothing but the straw for his winter 
store. They are gregarious, and need distributing. Our correspondent 
evidently has too many, and could spare some for Mr. Witherspoon.] 
MIDLAND COUNTIES PANSY SHOW AT TAMWORTH. 
At the Exhibition, May 24th, there was a very fine display of 
blooms and the above date just suited the very early season, while the 
growers from Scotland were able to show well. Much interest was 
centred on the contest between the great growers from the north, 
especially in the class for forty-eight blooms of Fancy Pansies, dis¬ 
similar. There were five exhibits. Mr. A. Bailey, jun., florist, Sunder¬ 
land, was placed first with excellent blooms of Beauty, a fine seedling; 
Whi e Queen, very good ; Evangeline, a rich flower of good form ; Mrs, 
C. S. Scarse, Evelyn Bruce, A. H. Murray, Dr. Bostock, fine; William 
Mackie, James J. Irvine, Mrs. D, Johnstone, excellent ; Tamworth 
Yellow, Mrs. J. Irvine, Bella Coutts, very fine ; Maggie A. Scott, Archie 
Buchanan, Robert Jamieson, Nannie Scott, Walter Brown, Louise 
Weirter, Kate McArthur, Mrs. Train, Mrs. Mackie, Alexander Smith, 
Robert Lord, James Campbell, Miss Hudson, Norman McKenzie, Mrs. 
Thomas Ritchie, Edward Polland, John Allen, excellent; William Allen, 
Mrs. Hugh Weir, very fine; Helen Patteson, James Simkins, a grand 
bloom ; Mrs. Grossart, Wm. Archer, very fine ; David Rennie, Neptune, 
white with a grand blotch ; Duchess of Portland, Edith T. Crossley, 
Maggie McPhail, My Lady, Lord Hamilton, Lord Bute, seedlings, and 
others. Mr. John Smellie, florist, Bushey, Glasgow, was second with 
also a very fine stand, and a close competitor. 
For twenty-four Fancy Pansies, dissimilar, Mr. Bailey was again first 
with David Rennie, Dr. Bostock, Maggie McPhail, Neptune, Wm. Archer, 
James Campbell, Mrs. S. C. Scarse, very fine ; Betsy Kelly, Mrs. Train, 
fine ; Donald Morrison, Mrs. Grosart, good ; Mr. Lord, a new and very 
peculiar tint of colour, a grand blotch, with blue tinted margin to the 
lower petals, and blue violet top petals ; Alexander Smith, Billy 
Johnstone, J. S. Irvine, White Queen, lilac-tinted top petals, with large 
solid blotch, and fine ; James Simkins, rextra fine ; Archie Buchanan, 
Maggie A. Scott, Mrs. John Downie, and Edward Polland, very fine. 
Mr. A. Lister, florist, Rothesay, second ; and Mr. John Smellie, third. 
For twelve Fancy Pansies, open, Mr. Smellie was first; Mr. A. Campbell, 
Blantyre, second ; Mr. Bailey, third. 
The classes for Show Pansies were not so well filled, but for twenty- 
four Mr. Smellie was first, and Mr. Lister second ; and for twelve 
blooms Mr. Lister was first; Mr. Campbell, second ; Mr. Smellie, third. 
For six blooms of any one variety Mr. A. Irvine was first; Mr. Smellie, 
second; Mr. Bailey, third ; and for twelve seedlings, own raising, Mr. 
Smellie was first; Mr. Lister, second; and Mr. J. D. Stuart, Malone, 
Belfast, third. 
In the home counties’ amateur classes Mr. Egginton, Wolverhampton, 
was first for twenty-four and eighteen Fancy Pansies, and Mr. A. C. 
Christie, Shifnal, another well-known grower, was second in each class, 
and Mr. T. M. Eglinton, third in each, with other growers fourth in 
each class. 
For twelve and six Fancy Pansies Mr. George East, Leicester, was 
first, and Mr. W. B. Fowler, Tamworth, second ; Mr. J. Haime, Longton, 
third, and Mr. John Draycott fourth ; these winners in each class. 
There were also classes for Show Pansies and seedlings. 
In the classes for amateurs who have never won a prize there were 
several exhibitors, Mr. H. Yeomans, Leicester, being first for twelve 
Fancies and second for six ; Mr. Andrew Penson, Newport, Salop, second 
for twelve and first for six ; and Mr. H. Jordan, Leicester, third in each 
class. 
In the class for trade growers in the home counties Mr. William 
Sydenham, Tamworth, was first respectively for forty-eight and twenty- 
four blooms ; and Messrs. Pope & Sons, Birmingham, second in each 
class. In these stands were the best varieties, and as especially fine were 
Emmie Stuart, Tamworth Yellow, Andrew Frater, Mrs. Train, Mrs. Wm. 
Sydenham, Mrs. J. D. Stuart, Mrs. Winstanley, Edward Polland, Dr. 
Harrison (very fine), and Alexander Smellie. In the classes for twelve 
Fancy Pansies and six blooms of any one variety Mr. Sydenham was 
first and Messrs. Pope & Sons second, and Mr. Sydenham also staged a 
fine stand not for competition. 
First-class certificates were awarded to the following seedling Fancy 
Pansies, three blooms of each.—Princess, creamy white, with a distinct 
even narrow margin of rosy crimson, quite even in the marking on each 
petal, solid blotch and fine form, exhibited by Mr. Campbell. To seed¬ 
ling Fancy Mrs. Spence, a very fine flower, exhibited by Mr. Andrew 
Irvine. To seedling Romeo, excellent, exhibited by Mr. J. Lister. To 
Marmion and Mrs. William Watson, two superb flowers, exhibited by 
Mr. J. Smellie. To Beauty, a grand flower of Donald Morrison type—a 
noble back row flower, exhibited by Mr. Bailey ; and to Queen’s Park 
Gem, superb blotch, the petals margined with creamy white, and a 
rich shade of blue, a grand flower, exhibited by Mr. Lister. 
First-class certificates were also awarded to the following seedling 
Show Pansies :—John Walt, dark self, staged by Mr. Campbell ; to 
W. H. Clark, a very fine yellow ground, exhibited by Mr. J. 1). Stuart, 
Belfast ; and to W. T. Bassett, dark self, by Mr. Lister. 
Messrs. Dubbie & Son had an extensive show of Violas, and a first- 
class certificate was awarded for Lillie Langtry. 
It was freely acknowledged to be a splendid exhibition of Pansies, 
and there was a large attendance, the Exhibition having been opened 
by the Mayor of Tamworth. 
WAKEFIELD AMATEUR TULIP SHOW.— May 22n'p, 23rd. 
After passing through the inevitable vicissitudes of lashion, the 
florists’ Tulip is now showing a decided reaction. We are informed that 
during the last two or three years there has been a greater demand for 
