168 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER 
June 
each. The above mode of culture must be adopted 
annually, in order to ensure success. My plants 
quickly cover the bed in which they are planted, 
producing a mass of blue flowers during the latter 
part of the summer and the whole of the autumn 
months. Its height, when in flower, is from one foot 
to 18 inches. As seed-pods appear I remove them, 
in order to give strength to the plants, and to extend 
its season of blooming. If plants are not obtain¬ 
able, a little seed sown in April in heat will produce 
flowering plants next autumn. There is also a white 
variety of this beautiful hardy plant.” It has been 
for many years known to our gardeners, having been 
introduced here as long ago as 1774, from the Carpa¬ 
thian mountains in Hungary. 
Wholesale Destruction of Birds. —Mr. Bree, of 
Stowmarket, finding that in his district a system has 
been extensively introduced of poisoning birds by 
wholesale, observes in a letter which he has just pub¬ 
lished, “ I take the liberty of predicting that in the 
course of a few years the farmers of this country will 
be unable to grow corn crops at all! You must not 
be startled at a supposition so bold as this. I will 
preface my explanation by a short statement made 
in works upon natural history upon the very best 
authority. Many years ago, the coffee plants in the 
Island of Madagascar were attacked by the grakle, 
a well-known bird on the African coast. The grakle 
is an insect feeder, but having used up the supply, it 
betook itself in pure necessity to coffee. An edict 
was speedily issued and carried into effect, for the 
annihilation of grakles, and every bird on the island 
was destroyed. All went on very well for a year or 
two; when, lo and behold, the insects and their larvae 
having the field to themselves began to make sad 
havoc upon the coffee plants. What was to be done ? 
There was no alternative but that of bringing back 
the grakle, which was in due season imported. The 
coffee planters had, however, gained something by 
experience, and they resolved to prosper by the same ; 
they managed to keep the grakle within bounds, 
and they well knew that he would do the same by 
the insects. And they were right. By preserving a 
juste milieu doctrine between the two they were ena¬ 
bled to grow coffee. Now I apprehend the fanners 
in the present day are much in the same position 
as the coffee planters of Madagascar. There has 
been for some time a system practised in this neigh¬ 
bourhood of poisoning birds by wholesale; thousands 
upon thousands have thus been destroyed, and the 
system continues. Can anything, I ask, be more 
absurd and irrational, 1 had almost said stupid, than 
this abominable practice ? I will say nothing about 
the beauty and harmony of living nature, I will not 
whisper a syllable of the goodness, and beneficence, 
and wisdom of its great Author, for I know from expe¬ 
rience that against prejudice in agricultural districts 
such arguments have no weight; neither will I attempt 
to picture the horror with which I have witnessed 
this familiarity with poison spreading like an evil 
pestilence among the beautiful of God’s works. But 
this I will say, that if the farmers of England run 
blindly and wilfully into the proved and fatal error 
of the coffee planters of Madagascar, if they permit 
the grub and the wireworm to destroy the crops of 
this country—and this they will do most assuredly if 
they annihilate insect feeders—then they will not 
only effect their own ruin, but they will inevitably 
cause a great national calamity.” 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Peas Without Skins (A Lover of Gardening). —Thanks for 
these, which shall be allotted as you desire. Nevermind “troubling” 
us—trouble is an editor’s natural state of existence. 
Asparagus Reds Badly Made (A. FI .).—You must be the sole 
judge whether, after the nine inches are taken off the surface, accord¬ 
ing to the treatment recommended by us at p. 124, the beds will 
look too unsightly. Being below the surface will be no disadvantage 
to them, and the edges might be sloped off. The plants are too old 
to be moved with success ; and, if you are determined upon breaking 
up your beds, you had better plant two or three-year-old plants next 
spring, from which you may cut in two years. You will find full 
directions for tank-making at pp. 135, 242, 278, 2S8, 308, and 312 of 
vol. i., and at page 64 of this volume. 
Filberts from Seed (Vertumnus) ,—It is quite impossible to 
foretell the quality of the fruit your seedlings will produce. In 
general, those with the largest leaves are best. 
Worms in Strawberries (7 lev . E . F .).— These are not “wire- 
worms,” but, if we remember right, a species of millipede ( Julus). 
If you will send us specimens we will tell you more about them. 
Hot-bed of Tan (Pegasus). —The tan must be three feet deep, 
and had better be made within a bin or frame of boards, and its bot¬ 
tom on the ground’s surface. You may form it in a hole dug to that 
depth, however, if the ground is dry, The centipedes will do your 
plants no harm. Fresh tan, well drained, must be used. If entirely 
in the shade, nothing will succeed in your hot-bed except mushrooms. 
Cankered Apple-trees ( H. I., Dublin).-— Your Eve and peach- 
apples are not affected, but another, the Bellesante, is very severely 
cankered. The latter sends a tap-root into the subsoil, “ a very 
wet, stiff, white clay,” and none of those uncankered do root into 
this. As the surface-soil is good, arid twenty-two inches deep, you 
need not hesitate to apply the obvious remedy. Dig a trench by the 
side of each cankered tree, deep enough and wide enough to enable 
you to get effectually at the tap-root, which cut through cleanly and 
entirely. All the cankered shoots must be cut off, and the sooner 
this is done the better. 
Moss on Fruit-trees (Ibid).— 1 This also is evidence that your 
soil is too wet to grow apples, &c. healthily. Drain it thoroughly, or 
you will not keep away either canker or moss. To remove the latter, 
scrape it off, and brush the trunks and main branches over with a 
creamy mixture of lime and water. 
Soil for Potting (A Novice). —Your garden soil at Bolton-le- 
Moors is “ stiff and cold,” which will not do for potting purposes; 
but the nurseryman is quite right who told you that “ garden mould” 
(which is a loam) would answer your purpose if you cannot get fresh 
loam from a pasture. We think the fly eating your young cucumber 
and cabbage plants must be the Haltica nernorum, described at page 
93. Try whether scatterring a little fresh gas lime over the surface 
of the soil among the plants, not on them, will banish the marauders. 
For your shaded border, try the plants recommended to “ II. W., 
Tewkesbury,” at page 138, for his north border. 
Ants, to IIestroy ( L. H.). —All the information we have to give 
upon this subject you will find at pp. 30, 51, and 114 of the present 
volume. 
Seedling Fuchsias (A Lover of Gardening, Walsall) —Trent 
them the same as the older plants. Answers to your other queries in 
our next. 
Erection of a Greenhouse (J. H. Horsey). —A platform stage 
is not so good as a series of shelves in a lean-to greenhouse ; sliding 
shutters at back will answer for ventilation, if large enough. Flues 
are as good as pipes for such a greenhouse, but pipes are less trouble 
afterwards. The same heating aparatus will work a pit at one end. 
Five-pence per foot for glass and putty is too much, but we must not 
name tradesmen ; they will soon find it their interest to advertise in 
our columns, but they think us too young yet. Thanks for your kind 
invitation. Mr. Beaton cannot at present say more upon this sub¬ 
ject. He has already given very full directions, which, if you read 
attentively, meet all your questions. All inquiries should be directed 
to “The Editor,” at the Office, 147, Strand. 
Cape Heaths (A Lover of Gardening). —You ask whether ericas 
might be grown in your garden in summer, and be moved into your 
house in winter?—Many Cape heaths grow in the open border in 
summer better, or at least with less trouble, than in pots—good peat 
and a drained border being prepared for them. In cool rooms, with 
air daily, except in frosty weather, they certainly might be kept in 
health. In that case turn them outside every fine day, and in very 
severe weather put them down near the fire-place at night; and be 
most careful not to give them water too often, but when they are 
watered let all the ball be just wetted. 
Carrots after Potatoes (J. N. Sice). —You ask whether you 
may sow short-horn carrots after potatoes, which will be taken up the 
last week in July ? In reply we can state that it is decidedly too late 
to sow horn carrots, or indeed any other kind ; at least if bulk of crop 
is desired. We have, however, obtained some nice carrots sown so 
late as Midsummer on rich soil. Any of the common turnips may be 
sown, or any of the various greens, brocoli, or coleworts planted. See 
Allotment Gardening for July in this number. Potatoes : as you 
justly observe, no perfectly satisfactory theory exists ns to the blight. 
We take our stand on deterioration of the constitution of the roots ; 
thus rendering it a fit medium to propagate with a fearful rapidity 
the ravages in question, which, under other circumstances, the plant 
would have borne up against. 
Unfruitful Plum Trees ( Daniel Farage). —AVe should much 
fear that the destruction of surface fibres, which must annually take 
