390 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
I October 25.1898. 
must be given to loosening the ties as required. When the shoots have 
made growth they shou'd be secured to something to support them, or 
the wind will blow them out, and your labour will be in vain. 
(To be continued.) 
THE NATIONAL AURICULA AND THE NATIONAL 
CARNATION AND PICOTEE SOCIETIES. 
(Southern Section.) 
The annual meeting of the members of these Societies took place 
in the room of the Horticultural Club, <! Hotel Windsor,” Victoria Street, 
Westminster, on the 23rd inst., the Rev. H. H. D’Ombrain (Chairman 
•of the Committee) presiding ; there being also present—Messrs. S. Hib- 
berd (Treasurer), J. Douglas (Secretary), H. Turner, R. Dean, T. E. Hen- 
wood, J. Lakin, &c. The notice convening the meeting and the minutes 
oE previous meeting having been read, the accounts were presented by 
the Treasurer, as follows :—National Auricula Society—Receipts, in¬ 
cluding subscriptions, £51 Os. 6d., and balance in hand, £33—£91 12s. ; 
and expenditure, including £61 12s. 6d. prize money, £73 Us. 9d. ; 
leaving a balance in favour of the Treasurer of £17 17s. 4d. 
National Carnation and Picotee Society—Receipts (including balance 
in hand, £11 6s., and subscriptions, £39 18s. 6d.)—£59 7s. Expenditure 
(including prize money, £39 18s. 6d) £52 3s. 2d. ; leaving a balance in 
hand of £7 3s. lOd. It should be stated, as attesting to the healthy 
financial position of both Societies, that no part of the £30 usually 
given by the Royal Horticultural Society was forthcoming during 1888. 
The accounts were remitted to the auditors, and it was agreed that 
the financial year should for the future close on September 29th. The 
•Chairman was requested to send a letter of condolence to Mrs. Whir- 
bourn on the death of her husband, the late President of the National 
Auricula Society. Mr. Shirley Hibberd was elected President ; Dr. 
Hogg, Dr. Masters, Mr. J. T. D. Llewelyn, and Mr. Harry Veitch Vice- 
Presidents. Mr. T. E. Henwood was elected Treasurer in the place of 
Mr. S. Hibberd, and the Committee for the ensuing year consists of 
Messrs. H. Canned, E. Hill, J. James, R. Dean, C. Phillips, G. Wheel¬ 
wright, W. L. Walker, PI. Turner, and T. S. Ware, the Rev. H. II. 
D’Ombrain being Chairman. In the case of the National Carnation and 
Picotee Society, the President and Vice-Presidents were elected. The 
names of Messrs. J. Fraser, J. Laing, and B. S. Williams were re¬ 
moved from the Committee, and those of Messrs. W. L. Walker, 
A. Lakin, and H. W. Headland added. Mr. T. E. Henwood was 
appointed Treasurer of this Society also, and Mr. J. Douglas Secretary 
of both. The question of appointing the judges was referred to the 
Committee. In reference to the place of exhibition in 1889, it was thought 
advisable that the Directors of the Crystal Palace should be approached 
to see if they would be willing to provide accommodation for the 
shows in 1889, and also make a donation to the funds, and the Rev. 
H. H. D’Ombrain and Mr. S. Hibberd were appointed a deputation for 
that purpose. 
CATERPILLARS AND BIRDS. 
In the article quoted on page 343 of the Journal on caterpillars 
ill the past season, the writer says he considers it a mistake to 
attribute the increase of these pests to the destruction of sparrows 
by farmers’ clubs, &c., and in this most persons who have studied 
.the subject will probably agree. Several articles and paragraphs in 
favour of sparrows have appeared in country newspapers, some of a 
merely sentimental type, others showing considerable ignorance, 
such as calling sparrows insectivorous birds, and others, of a more 
plausible character, adducing the evidence of ornithologists, and 
asserting that the balance of Nature is impaired with the usual evil 
results by the destruction of sparrows. It is true that some orni¬ 
thologists, and among them, I believe, Yarrell, who is considered a 
standard authority, have declared that sparro'ws do more good by 
destroying insects during the breeding season than harm at other 
times, but it seems doubtful if their statistics and experiments were 
exhaustive. The opinion of Miss Ormerod, the acknowledged 
authority upon insects destructive to agriculture and vegetation, 
will probably carry more weight in these days, and she has declared, 
I believe, emphatically against the sparrow. It is true, too, that if 
man seriously impairs the balance of Nature he will probably suffer 
for it; but the fact is that the balance has been destroyed in favour 
of sparrows, who have been artificially (though unintentionally) fed 
and protected by man. For by building houses and barns we 
furnish them with safe nesting places, and by feeding animals, 
poultry, &c., in open troughs and on the ground, we provide them 
with special food in the winter, and thus ourselves contribute to 
their undue increase. The theory that we should not interfere 
with the balance of Nature, though true in the main, may be 
carried too far. I was once told it was a mistake to destroy the 
gpubs upon my Roses, as they would thin the buds for me. True, 
perhaps, but still I thought I would like to do the thinning myself. 
A well-known nurseryman once employed some women to disbud 
liis Roses for him in view of the shows. They worked zealously, 
and their employer found, when he came to inspect the plants 
operated on, that they had cleared off every bud. I fear that 
caterpillars would be found to be even less teachable. 
One of the most serious injuries inflicted by sparrows is done 
indirectly. It is pretty well known that the majority of insects 
are winged in the perfect state and celebrate their nuptials in the 
air, and the birds especially designed by Providence to keep down 
insects by destroying them in the perfect state in the air before the 
female has laid her eggs are swallows and martins. The latter, 
however, finds an implacable foe in the sparrow, who ousts her 
from her mud-built nest and takes possession of it himself. Ihe 
rows of martins’ nests under the cottage eaves which used to be so 
common are now almost unknown in some districts, and there 
seems little doubt that in those places the sparrows will soon extir¬ 
pate the martins if they have not done so already. 
Being fond of birds, I have always been ready to believe all 
good qualities attributed to them, and accordingly when some years 
ago a pair of blue tomtits hatched a numerous brood of young in 
the crevice of a wall which partly enclosed a quarter of an acre of 
Roses, I thought I should have some real assistance in keeping down 
caterpillars among the Roses during the month of May ; but 
though I spent several half-hours in watching the old birds feeding 
their young they never once, as far as I could see, went into the 
Rose trees, where caterpillars and grubs abounded, in search of 
food, but always up into the large Beech and forest trees, and I was 
obliged to conclude that, as far as Roses were concerned, tomtits 
were a fraud. 
It is asserted that sparrows feed their young on caterpillars 
(they may do so in the early summer when they get nothing better), 
but it is my belief that they would prefer first anything in the way 
of fruit or grain, even com in “ the milk,” and next perfect insects 
of any sort. I should say that no bird, except perhaps a cuckoo, 
would regularly eat caterpillars, which in that stage appear to have 
ichneumon flies and other predatory insects as their natural foes. 
Fowls will not touch them, even the omnivorous duck will not have 
them. 
To keep injurious insects in due restraint it is evidently more 
important that they should be destroyed in the perfect state than 
as grubs or caterpillars, and therefore, remembering their enmity to 
the martins as well as their own many grievous misdeeds, farmers 
and gardeners will probably do well to wage war against sparrows, 
till at all events their numbers be reduced to a more reasonable 
level.—W. R. Rajllem. 
WORKjoi\the WEEK. • 
! lip-A A ^ tvi anW, 
Xws n \ 
FRUIT FORCING. 
Figs. — Early-forced Trees in Pots .—Trees intended for this pur¬ 
pose should, if they have been placed in the open air, be taken under 
cover to protect them from the cold autumn rains. It is presumed that 
they have been repotted, or had the drainage rectified, as advised in a 
former calendar. Place the trees in a rather dry, well-ventilated house. 
Any thinning or shortening crowded attenuated growths must be 
attended to, and the trees dressed with an insecticide after washing 
thoroughly in every part with a solution of softsoap, 8 ozs. to the gallon 
of tepid water, applying with a brush, which must be sufficiently stiff 
to dislodge scale if there be any, and it must be used judiciously as well 
as efficiently. A dish of forced Figs is now considered a necessity in 
large establishments, and is not by any means difficult to obtain. A 
light well-ventilated house is necessary, having pits containing ferment¬ 
ing materials to afford bottom heat to stimulate the roots and afford a 
constant supply of nutritive matter. The Fig requires abundance of 
liquid manure when growing, the trees being most prolific under limited 
root space. One of the great advantages of Fig culture in pots is the 
number of varieties that may be grown in a house of moderate dimen¬ 
sions, and which, if forced, come in at a time when the dessert is not 
too varied. Brown Turkey is unquestionably the best of all Figs for 
every purpose, a fitting companion being White Marseilles, they, with 
the following, being well suited for forcing and pot culture :—Early 
Violet, Black Ischia, Brown Ischia, Black Marseilles, Violette de Bor¬ 
deaux. Negro Largo, Angelique, White Ischia, Col di Signora Bianca, 
and Royal Vineyard. 
Planted-out Figs. — Figs that have been in bearing since middle 
June are now commencing to rest, and may be divested of the old 
foliage as soon as it parts freely from the wood. If planted in 
inside borders and the growth is considered too strong, the present is 
a favourable time for root-pruning, an operation that can scarcely be 
overdone, particularly where the space is limited. All inert soil shoul 
be cleared away, strong roots cut out, and the drainage examined. The 
young roots may then be relaid in fresh compost, firmly rammed 
mulched, and left dry until the time arrives for forcing. The young 
