500 
COLLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS. 
plough and threw the seed, not with a sparing hand, into the drills; 
he was followed by a man who harrowed in the seed with a whin 
(gorse) hush, which he drew after him. The turnips increased to a 
great size, but not a few of them fell a sacrifice to the curiosity ol 
the people. To prevent nocturnal incursions into the field, a great 
number of crow-foots of iron were planted amongst the turnips, an 
intimation whereof was made at the kirk door on Sundays, and by 
beat of drum in Melrose on Market days. The bullocks fed on these 
turnips, for they were so large that the people in the neighbourhood 
looked upon them as monsters, and would not buy them.— lb. 
Pear Trees at Melrose.— The largest and oldest pear trees in 
the county ornament the gardens at Melrose, two of them called the 
Duke’s Pear, and the Thorle or Horle Pear produced, in 1793, no 
fewer than 6000 pears to perfection, besides those shaken off and 
gathered before they were ripe. They were sold to retailers, at 8s. 
a fislot or fruit peck, sixteen of which make a boll. The tree is 
late and large, and never fails to afford a good crop. The pear is hard, 
round and small, keeps long, and then turns yellowish. These trees 
must be some hundreds of years old.— lb. 
Note .—Are not these sorts worth propagating P 
Nets a Fence against Sheep. —If sheep be put into a field to 
eat off turnips, where there is a young hedge, it ought to be at least 
secured with a net, which is neither much expense nor trouble.- 
Middlesex Report , 1794. 
How to Kill Fern. ---A woman has a stick, with a blade having 
dull edges at one end ; she strikes the stems and bruises them : she 
will do a great deal in a day. This is repeated two or three times 
in the summer, on the next morning a gummy consistence is found 
to exude, and the fern gradually disappears.— -Nottingham Report, 
1794. Thos. Dee. 
To Destroy the Thrips. —A Correspondent “H. D.” wishes 
to know in page 233, What will destroy the Thrips ? I have always 
found that fumigating destroys them effectually. I have been some¬ 
what troubled with them on cucumbers and melons grown on wires 
by fire heat, and, not liking to fumigate because of the injury the 
leaves receive from the smoke, I took a quarter of a pint of strong- 
tobacco-water, and having added to it one gallon of clear water, I 
syringed the leaves daily with this until they were thoroughly clear. 
If the leaves be infested with the red spider (Aearus), add a little 
sulphur to the mixture. 
J. Haythorn. 
Eastwood , near Nottingham , Sept . 12///, 1S33. 
