122 
THR FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
Such has been my practice for many years, and the results have been most 
satisfactory. There is no other crop out-doors that I can so safely calculate on 
as a crop of Figs. When I have heard of Fig trees not bearing, and when I 
have seen the trees I never had any difficulty in ascertaining the cause—some¬ 
times it was through a total neglect of summer pruning, the trees being one 
mass of gross unripened wood, and other times the young wood nailed carefully 
in and the young fruit swelled to nearly full size when cut off by the frost. I 
cannot too often repeat that well thinning the shoots in summer and allowing 
them to hang out from the wall are the most essential points in the culture of 
the Fig out-doors in obtaining regular crops. I am aware there is nothing 
new in my management, but I do know that if it were more generally carried 
out than it is there would be no difficulty in obtaining heavy crops of Figs in 
the open air in any part of the country, regardless of the character of the seasons. 
The Fig is largely grown under glass, but its out-door culture does not 
extend very rapidly. What is the cause ? It certainly is not owing to any 
difficulty in its management. Perhaps it is because public attention has not 
been sufficiently drawn to the matter. In nine gardens out of ten that one goes 
into he will not find a Fig tree out of doors. This is a state of things that 
should not be. Cultivate it as extensively as you please under glass, but 
surely if it be worth while to devote glass to its growth it ought to be worth 
a place against a wall. An east or west aspect will do equally as well as a south 
one, more especially when we consider that very little management is required 
to ensure good crops every year, no matter what the season may be. 
Stourton. M. Saul. 
ROOKS EATING CROCUS BULBS. 
In the beginning of April the rooks attacked the Crocus-beds here, and 
devoured the bulbs greedily. At that time, owing to the backwardness of the 
season, and the dry weather that afterwards ensued, there was a great scarcity 
of their natural food. When the Crocuses came into flower they left off taking 
them for a time; but lately they have attacked them again, and I have been 
obliged to take up the plants to tie in bundles, to put them in a protected 
border to ripen. Since the Crocuses have been taken up the early Tulip-beds 
have also been inspected; but Mr. Rook evidently does not like their flavour, 
for the bulbs, after being pulled up, are left on the ground untouched. The 
small bulbs of Scilla sibirica are likewise scattered about, but not eaten. 
Immense rookeries are quite near, and the demand for food for the young ones 
at this time of the year makes the rooks do no end of injury to Potatoes just 
coming above ground, and to the spring-sown corn. 
Another daring depredator has been the sparrow this spring; and it is 
impossible to calculate the damage done to early Peas and the Gooseberry 
buds, unless where netted over or otherwise protected. Here they commenced 
by nipping the young hearts and leaves of the early Peas as soon as they 
appeared above ground, and I expect they will have the first dish as soon as 
the pods are filled. Our brethren at the antipodes are stated to have been at 
great expense and trouble in introducing the sparrow into that quarter; but I 
am afraid they will yet be sorry for trying the experiment. Should that 
country ever get thickly populated, Mr. Sparrow will be sure to colonise faster 
than the inhabitants, and, like the brown rat, they will try all ingenuity of 
man to keep them within bounds. The sparrows, from building their nests in 
holes and gutters in houses and old buildings, set the “youngsters” more at 
defiance than other small birds from taking their eggs and nests. They are, 
therefore, more prolific; and wherever a new house or farm arises the sparrow 
