80 
THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. 
three-year-old plants taken from the open ground, and which have not been 
previously cut. These are taken up carefully and packed closely on the hotbed, 
and vegetable mould or leaf mould introduced amongst them, but so that the 
buds of their crowns may not be covered. In about a fortnight after the 
sashes are put on green and tender shoots are produced. Thus, by following 
these methods, either blanched or green Asparagus may be easily obtained. 
C.” 
[“ A Constant Reader ” also complains of his Celery being much injured this 
season by wire worms, and asks for a remedy. Perhaps some of our corre¬ 
spondents will state their experience on this subject.— Ed. F. Sc P.j 
ON HERONS. 
Some years ago I made a few observations upon Herons in another 
periodical; but since then, I have had further opportunities of observing their 
habits. Last season a young one was sent me, which had been confined only 
for a few days. On his prison door being opened he flew off, and I thought 
he would have preferred his liberty. In the evening, however, he came 
familiarly up to me, as if we had been old friends; and after having gobbled 
up some fish, he took possession of his house, and was quite tame during the 
season: indeed, so much so, that he followed the men digging, and picked up 
worms; these, however, he soon abandoned at the sight of fish. When hard 
pressed for food, he greedily swallowed dead birds, mice, frogs, and rats; but 
if a rat was large, it was really amusing to see him give his prey a good soak¬ 
ing in a pail of water, in order to make the mouthful slip easily down. 
As with the Crane family, it is astonishing the quantity of food which 
Herons devour ; but they can equally well endure hunger a long time. When 
short of food, I fed mine on garbage from the hog tub ; and this led me to 
observe some traits in his character. When I brought food in a basket, 
sometimes he waited for me at the garden gate ; afterwards, he used to walk 
and fly before me when I took up the basket, and wait upon the top of the 
door until I came out; then, after gobbling up some food, he flew home before 
me. During the winter nights he roosted upon the garden wall; but his habits, 
like those of wild ones, led him to wander by night, especially in moonlight. 
When I held up a rat or mouse, and called “ Franky,” he flew to me, making 
a chattering noise. He was also fond of pecking the boys’ legs—in fact, some 
of them, like the hens, were afraid of him. The latter had reason to be so, 
for he sometimes felled one of their chickens at a stroke, and swallowed it at 
one gulp. Wild Herons used to pay him visits, but they ended only in short 
flights and screaming noises, until the breeding season; then he left me, but 
came back at the end of that season—not, however, so tame as before—and 
soon took up his solitary abode by the river. 
I may remark that Herons pair in February, congregate in colonies, 
and make nests on trees somewhat like those of rooks, but larger, and not so 
closely built. Each nest may contain four or five eggs, of a bluish colour, 
varying to pale green, nearly as large as those of ducks. As Herons can squat 
down, their long legs are no hindrance to them when sitting upon their eggs. 
During the breeding time, they fly both early and late to large moors or lakes, 
perhaps sixteen miles off’, to fish for their craving young. Shortly after these 
can fly, the colony breaks up, and disperses to lonely places; and the Herons 
remain singly, or in twos or threes, in order that they may better obtain food. 
This law of Nature prevails amongst other birds of prey. Kingfishers live 
