410 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ November 1, 1888. 
I have read the notes on birds on pages 390 and 391 with much 
interest, and as my experience, from careful observations, differs in 
some respects, perhaps I may be permitted to make a few remarks 
on the subject. Although I have not much sympathy towards 
sparrows in general, it is only fair to them that they should have 
their due as regards the good they do. I have read very many 
articles on sparrows and their doings, especially in Poultry , some 
months ago. I allow a few pairs to build around my premises 
•(four pairs have been with me last summer, and some have been 
allowed to take off a brood of young) for purposes of observation, 
which gave me an insight into the food they took to their nests. I 
have no hesitation in stating that they destroy an immense quantity 
of caterpillars, grubs, insects, moths, and cockchafers, which they 
strip of legs and wings to. feed their young, which is varied with 
corn and meal, particularly from the pig trough if obtainable. I 
was once much interested in seeing an old hen sparrow feeding—or 
attempting to feed—young wrens with pig food. The sparrow had 
been previously robbed of her own young ones. 
During the past summer, when the caterpillar plague was in full 
swing—at the time it was difficult to find a perfect leaf on the 
Apples or Oaks—I watched the sparrows very carefully, and it was 
interesting to see them going to and from the Oaks. The barer the 
Oaks the more attracting to the sparrows. I walked quietly under 
the trees and watched how industriously they were tearing open 
the curled up fragments of leaves and taking out the grubs or 
chrysalis, with which they either fed the chirping fledged young 
with them or took them off to their young in the nests, as the case 
might be. As the sparrows cleared one lot of trees they went 
further afield, and I found them in large flights at least a mile from 
their homes, away out in the fields in the dried up and withered- 
looking trees with not a leaf left on them except the fragment 
which enveloped the chrysalids of the beautiful little green moths. 
As regards nesting, I will not allow the sparrows to take the 
nests from the martins. If they persist in it they are driven into 
Elm trees where shooting will not matter, and down they come. 
I have known a cock sparrow bring home hen after hen, three in a 
•day, until he had to fall. But I give them boxes in convenient 
places to build in—only a few—and then they are under control, 
and I generally give the eggs to children and not allow them to 
Batch. They continue to lay all through the summer. On one 
occasion I placed a brood of young sparrows in a cage, and found 
at least a score of cockchafers dropped into the bottom of the cage 
for the young by the old birds, and as the young were not old 
enough to peck, the insects were lost a3 food. These I have in my 
possession now. It would take too much space to particularise other 
useful birds as caterpillar destroyers. 
As regards sparrows, swallows, and martins taking bee3, as 
mentioned by Mr. W. E. Burkitt, I am very pleased to say such 
is not my experience, although I have watched them many an hour. 
On the other hand, I can assure readers that I have scores of times 
seen both martins and swallows followed by bees on the wing, for 
what purpose I was never able to satisfy myself, without it is 
curiosity, as seems to be the case when bees and wasps fly round 
persons without attempting to sting. My stock of house martins 
round the premises this season has been fifteen pairs, and nearly all 
have reared two broods each. The last only left me on the 
17th inst., and, as is their custom, disappeared at once on leaving 
their nest. My swallows have numbered five pairs, and each pair 
reared two broods of about five each. 
The first fieldfare of the season was here on the 26th of October ; 
the redwings arrived on the 8th of October. Bullfinches are now 
catching readily in trap-cages, and a few cages in a locality would 
clear them out, or nearly so.—J. Hi am, The Wren's Nest , Astwooi 
Banlc. 
LEDBURY APPLE AND PEAR EXHIBITION. 
It will be in the recollection of some of your readers that a few 
years ago a series of Apple and Pear exhibitions were inaugurated by 
the Woolhope Club, ending in 1883 in the publication in 1885 of that 
splendid work, The Herefordshire Pomona.” To these the successful 
Exhibition, which was held in Ledbury on Thursday 25th, in a spacious 
tent 300 feet long, erected in the beautiful park of Mr. Michael 
Biddulph, M.P., may be described as an opportune sequel, and surely 
never more so than at the present time, when there is so manifest an 
■awakenmg among our horticulturists, as the leader in last week’s Journal 
■of Horticulture so clearly establishes. Ledbury, according to its pro¬ 
gramme, started its exhibition with the particular object of agitating 
for a local market for its fruit, yet the general interest to the public 
cannot be over-estimated when we see so small a town can stage 
3000 plates of admirable specimens of Apples and Pears, and hold a 
conference afterwards at which the leading specialists of the day read 
papers. 
Fitly, then, as the prototype of many others throughout the king¬ 
dom, might the Ledbury spirited Exhibition be expanded into a Here¬ 
fordshire Pomological Society on the lines of the Herefordshire Agricul¬ 
tural Society, and, like that flourishing Association, be peripatetic, 
visiting by invitation each of its leading district towns, thus diffusing 
its influence through fresh centres and increasing its funds. If this 
idea were carried out in our own county, with her 29,000 orchard acres, 
and adopted by other counties, each association being affiliated to the 
Royal Horticultural Society, it would be impossible to be too sanguine 
as to the beneficial results. A new industry would be created, quite on 
a national basis. Not only the amateur and the big nurserymen, but the 
small market gardener, an over-done and unprofitable speculation—in the 
provinces, at least—and even the small allotment owner with the vexed 
two acres and a cow, would then pay his way. 
But I shall be reminded that I am travelling beyond the record. 
Peas, as may be supposed in such a season as this, were far inferior to 
Apples in quantity and quality, still there were some fine specimens to 
be seen in most of the collections. For the most level lot (open), six 
varieties, though wanting in size and colour, were shown from the famous 
cordon wall at Holme Lacey by Mr. Denning, gardener to the Earl of 
Chesterfield. The most notable were Pitmaston Duchess, Beurrd 
Boussoch, Beurr6 Bachelier, Hacon’s Incomparable, Madame Treyve. 
Second prize, Mr. W. Wildsmith, gardener to Viscount Eversleigh, who 
had fine Beurre Diel and Beurrd Hardy ; third. Mr. W. Child, gardener 
to Earl of Coventry ; highly commended, Mr. Ward, gardener to Lady 
Emily Foley, and Messrs. Bunyard ; and commended, Rev. C. H. Bulmer. 
The heaviest Pears were in this last collection, five Van Mons L6on 
Leclerc, weighing over 4 lbs. Single plates of Pears, six varieties 
(open), Marie Louise, first Mr. Robert Smith, second Messrs. Bunyard, 
third Mr. Walter Child. 
Dessert Apples, not exceeding twenty-four varieties, Messrs. Bun¬ 
yard first; Messrs. Cranston second ; Mr. John Watkins third. In the 
winning stand the best were—Brownlee’s Russet, Sturmer Pippin, King 
of the Pippins, Dutch Mignonne, and Cardinal. These were a fine col¬ 
lection and well coloured, but as a whole too large for dessert size. Many 
think differently, however. 
Culinary Apples, not exceeding twenty-five. —Messrs. Cranston first; 
Messrs. Bunyard second ; Mr. John Watkin third. This was a grand 
class. Among the best shown were Beauty of Kent, good colour ; Lord 
Derby, Cox's Pomona, Mere de Menage, New Hawthornden (exquisite 
colour), and Ecklinville Seedling, grand here and everywhere ; Blenheim 
Pippin (not good). 
The vintage fruit (Apples and Pears) were very large classes, and 
shown very clean and well and correctly named. Mr. J. H. Arkwright 
held an informal conference of farmers and cider merchants to agree on 
an outline of rules to lay before the Council of the R.A.S.E., on the 
subject of the prizes they propose to give for the best exhibits of cider 
and perry at their jubilee meeting next year at Windsor. 
A conference of fruit growers was held during the afternoon, under 
the presidency of Mr. Michael Biddulph, M.P., when excellent papers 
were read by Mr. S. Rawson, fruiterer and salesman, Birmingham, on 
“ Fruit Growing and Distribution ; ” Mr. D. Tallerman, on the subject, 
“ What Ledbury Fruit Growers May Do ; ’’ and last, but not least, by 
Mr. W. Coleman, on “ Profitable Fruit Culture in Herefordshire.” All 
the papers were listened to with the attention their great merits 
deserved. 
The Rev. C. II. Bulmer of Credenhill, and Mr. G. H. Piper of Led¬ 
bury, judged the cider and perry fruit ; Mr. Miles (Wycombe Abbey), 
Mr. Coleman (Eastnor), Mr. Crump (Madresfield), and Mr. Spencer 
(Goodrich Court) judged the dessert and culinary fruit ; and Mr. Wool¬ 
way of Bristol judged the cider. 
The exhibitors who were present gladly acceded to Mr. Biddulph’s 
suggestion that a choice selection from the best exhibits should be 
formed, and forwarded to Balmoral for presentation to Her Majesty the 
Queen.— The Herefordshire Incumbent. 
DEVONSHIRE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
October 25th and 26th. 
At one time it was very doubtEul if the Society would be able to 
hold its annual Apple and Pear Show, many of the growers who usually 
compete not having fruit sufficiently good to uphold their well merited 
reputation as cultivators. The Committee, however, and the energetic 
and courteous Honorary Secretary, Mr. J. T. Pengelly, had every reason 
to be well satisfied with the results of their labours. At the opening 
of the Show Sir Thomas Ackland, Bart., spoke at some length upon the 
benefits conferred by such exhibitions, and dwelt upon the efforts that 
are now being made to popularise hardy fruit culture. Sir Stafford 
Northcote and other gentlemen followed in a similar strain, and in all 
probability a still more instructive meeting or conference will be held 
next autumn. On the whole the Devonians have every reason to. be 
proud of their achievements in Apple and Pear culture, as they fairly 
held their own against all comers. The Kentish Apples appeared to be 
more fully developed than the locally grown fruit, and it was generally 
thought some of them were grown under glass. There was no rule to 
exclude such, but they ought not to be mixed with open air fruit if 
the selections of the latter are to be of an instructive character. There 
were four lots of twenty-four culinary varieties of Apples staged, and 
with these Messrs. G. Bunyard & Co. were well first, having remarkably 
fine dishes of the leading sorts. The second prize was awarded to Mr. 
C. G. Sclater, Devon Nurseries. Mr. D. C. Powell, Powderham,.took 
the third prize for a highly creditable collection. With twelve culinary 
varieties Sir. D. C. Powell was first, his well selected collection consist- 
