February 9,1895. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
375 
that were sown in pots about the middle of last 
month, and placed in a cool vinery will be pushing 
through the soil nicely, and as they are protected 
from the frost there is but little fear of them taking 
any harm. Plenty of light and air being admitted 
they will grow robustly. The quantity treated thus 
must depend on the requirements of the place; with 
us about a thousand pots of the leading kinds are so 
treated, which will be transferred to the open ground 
about the middle of'next month, to be protected 
with glass till all danger of severe frost and cold 
winds are past. We have for several years adopted 
this plan and found it to answer admirably. 
There are now so many first class varieties that it 
pays to go to a little extra trouble to have them 
early, and if due precaution be taken both with 
sowing and planting, very few failures indeed will 
have to be recorded. Sutton’s Early Marrow is one 
of the finest flavoured early peas yet offered to the 
public, it is of dwarf compact growth, not more than 
three feet six inches in height, even on good ground 
when liberally treated and is podded to the ground 
owing to its branching habit. We have grown this 
variety every year since it was first introduced, and 
are more than ever in favour of it. Early round 
seeded varieties are plentiful, but to have a first-class 
Marrow with large, well-filled pods that can be 
gathered by the first or second week in June in an 
ordinary season, is something uncommon. Most 
people are of opinion that it takes a large number of 
pots to plant a row, this, however, is not the case, as 
one pot of plants to every fifteen inches will be 
found ample. 
The mode we adopt is to sow the seed in four inch 
pots, three parts filled with rich soil that has been 
passed through a half-inch sieve. No drainage is 
used, as by careful watering there is no fear of them 
getting waterlogged, About a dozen seeds are put 
into each, these being placed evenly over the surface 
of the soil. When this is done the remaining space 
is filled up with soil and a gentle watering given to 
settle it down. Germination soon takes place and as 
the pots get filled with roots, a more liberal supply 
of moisture is afforded. Being in such an airy 
structure the plants are hardy from the commence¬ 
ment. Should the weather during February be 
warm, as it is sometimes the case, the pots are 
removed to a cool frame, where the lights are drawn 
off in the daytime which keeps them perfectly hardy. 
When planted in the open a trench is taken out and 
the soil put on the north side. The pots are then 
placed an even distance from each other where turned 
out, the soil is carefully pressed round each ball, and 
the growth spread out so as to fill up the vacant space 
between each clump. 
Sheets of glass about twenty by fourteen are then 
placed in a sloping position from the ridge at the 
back of the row to the ground in front, forming 
portable frames, which not only protect the plants 
from the colds winds, but assist in promoting 
growth during the early stage after planting. Those 
who cannot procure the glass can use Laurel boughs, 
or any other evergreens that will ward off the cold 
winds. Necessity causes people to have their wits 
sharpened, and where supplies of these much 
esteemed vegetables must be had, no pains 
should be spared to procure them. Many 
others that will transplant readily may be treated in 
like manner, as by so doing a continuous supply may 
be had even in adverse seasons .—Kitchen Gavdenev. 
* 
As long as the weather maintains its inclement 
character work outside will in a great measure be at 
a standstill. Even if it were possible to get the 
spade in the ground, digging is scarcely a practicable 
operation, as it is a very great mistake to bury 
beneath the surface of the soil masses of frozen 
earth or quantities of snow and ice, as this keeps 
the ground cold and damp for a long time after¬ 
wards. Make sure that all tender subjects are 
sufficiently protected, or the long continuance as 
well as the severity of the frost will be sure to do a 
deal of damage. The snowfall in many parts of the 
country has been an excessively heavy one, and un¬ 
less precautions are taken, harm to trees and shrubs, 
especially those of the evergreen section, will be the 
inevitable result. Steps must be taken, therefore, to 
relieve all trees which are heavily weighted from the 
burden of snow they carry. 
As soon as possible after the snow has ceased 
falling paths must be swept, for if this operation is 
delayed too long the traffic passing over them will 
greatly augment the difficulty experienced in clearing 
them. It is not advisable to sprinkle salt upon the 
paths with a view to the removal of the snow, as a 
certain quantity of this, mixed with a proportion of 
snow, form a freezing compound of great strength. 
In most cases a layer of snow upon the ground will 
be of service in affording Some protection to plants 
of the herbaceous section. With seedlings, however, 
it often plays great havoc, especially if the severe 
weather is broken with short spells of thaw, the re¬ 
sult being that a layer of ice covers the young 
plants, excluding in a great measure the necessary 
air from them, a kind of treatment which, if con¬ 
tinued for very long, invariably causes the death of 
a large proportion. 
As soon as the weather breaks and the ground has 
sufficiently recovered from the effects of the frost to 
be workable the planting of Anemones and Ranun¬ 
culuses may be carried on, and the pruning and 
training of the plants that clothe the walls pro¬ 
ceeded with. While the present atmospheric condi¬ 
tions last, however, the time may be spent with 
advantage in the making of stakes, and the writing 
of labels in readiness for the coming spring, so that 
no valuable time may be lost presently. 
* 
The wintry weather will hinder in a great degree 
active operations in this department also, as it is not 
possible to plant new trees or to prune and train 
others while things remain as they are. Great care 
must be taken that the roots of consignments of 
young trees, which it is proposed to plant as soon as 
occasion permits, are sufficiently protected from the 
frost. If they have been put in by the heels in a 
vacant plot of ground to await their turn for planting 
it would be well if some bracken, hay, straw, or any 
other light protective material were also placed 
around them. 
At this season of the year the rubbish heap is apt 
to be rather encumbered with prunings of fruit trees 
which have been removed hence, as well as branches 
of evergreen or deciduous shrubs from the flower 
garden and pleasure grounds. Advantage may be 
taken therefore of the present time to burn these up 
out of the way, both for the sake of tidiness as well 
as with an eye to the much more important consid¬ 
eration that the manure thus secured will be of the 
greatest service during the coming season. The 
value of wood ashes as a dressing is incalculable ; 
more especially so on heavy grounds, although it 
never comes amiss on any soil. Attend to the turn¬ 
ing of manure, so that it shall be in a sufficiently 
advanced state of decomposition before it is required 
for use, as the application of raw or badly prepared 
manurial material to ground is not a practice to be 
recommended. 
See that a sufficient stock of shreds, and nails, or 
tying material are to hand for use when required. 
Pruning tools should also be looked to for sharpening, 
for it is impossible to prune well if knives and saws 
are not in good condition. 
--Ht*- 
©leanings fount flit} IDoolt* 
uf Scionr^. 
The Starling.—The rapid increase of the starling 
in numbers, and the enlargement of its range in 
Scotland form the theme of a useful investigation 
by Mr. Harvie-Brown. At one time the starling was 
not a common or generally distributed bird in North 
Britain, but it has become so plentiful that it has 
been forced to extend its bounds, until now it is 
numerous in almost every section of the kingdom. 
This multiplication seems to have proceeded from 
two great centres, one in Shetland and Orkney, the 
Outer Hebrides, and the Caithness coast, and a later 
one entering Scotland in the south, and passing 
north through the south and central districts of 
Scotland. Moray, it would appear, has drawn its 
supplies from the north in comparatively recent years 
but in all the country south of the Grampians the birds 
seem to have been permanent immigrants from the 
south. The starling thus reverses the maxim which 
the dying Aberdonian left as his only legacy—“ Aye 
be keepin’ sooth ! " For it is keeping northward, 
and at the present rate bids fair to fill every nook 
and crevice, so that in order to preserve the balance 
of life some weaker members of the broods must go 
to the wall in the struggle for life. However, before 
this can take place, feebler species will be the first 
sufferers. Indeed, Mr. Harvie-Brown sees this law 
in action, in one locality, where the starling is too 
numerous for all of its individuals to find a liveli¬ 
hood. 
Advantages of the Starling.—About twenty- 
six years ago starlings became very common in the 
interior of Aberdeenshire, not merely as visitants in 
the autumn when they ranged the stubble fields and 
pastures in vast flocks ; but they seemed to have 
taken up their quarters permanently, at least some 
of them, for they made their nests and reared their 
young about farms, and other buildings in the sum¬ 
mer months. Previous to that for many years at 
least, they had been comparative strangers. No one 
seems to have suspected or blamed them for doing 
any mischief, and no measures were taken against 
them except by boys, who were eager to make 
acquaintance with their eggs and nests. The fact is 
they are harmless birds, while they served to some 
extent in keeping sparrows in check by utilising the 
holes about the roofs of houses in making their nests, 
and which were previously used by the sparrows 
Previous to the above date, they were comparatively 
rare birds or only heard of occasionally. During the 
autumn months the larvae of the Crane Flies, or 
Daddy Long Legs are very plentiful in meadows and 
wet places, particularly where there is plenty of 
rank grass and moisture. These grubs are known 
as leather jackets, and are often very destructive to 
grass, and other kinds of vegetation. They are 
cylindrical, and dirty gray, with a very tough skin, 
resembling wireworms, except in colour, and doubt¬ 
less often do mischief which is attributed to the last 
named insects. Starlings busy themselves in picking 
up and devouring these leather jackets, and thus 
render the agriculturists incalculable benefit. During 
summer when they make their nests about dwelling 
or out-houses, they benefit the gardens and lawns 
in the neighbourhood of the same, by destroying 
grubs and caterpillars of various kinds. They 
should therefore be encouraged. Boxes may even 
be put up for them in orchards where they may be 
encouraged to take up their abode and breed, for 
they devour caterpillars of various kinds, and are 
most active in this respect during the breeding season. 
The Cuckoo.—Before the history of this bird 
was properly known, all kinds of curious tales were 
related about it. Amongst others were its mis¬ 
chievous depredations amongst the gooseberries. It 
was seen to fly down amongst the bushes and that 
seemed to have been sufficient evidence of its 
eating the fruit. The fact is that the cuckoo is an 
insectivorous bird and thus benefits the community 
by the quantities of caterpillars which it devours 
during the early summer months. If it were to hatch 
and rear its own young, the quantity of caterpillars 
required would even be greater. 
The Sparrow.—Opinions are frequently very 
much divided concerning the merits and demerits of 
what is probably the commonest and most widely 
distributed bird in this country. Those who are in 
favour of it speak of the armies of caterpillars and 
other winged creatures of that same order which it 
devours. Doubtless it must live upon something 
otherwise it could not maintain itself in such 
numbers everywhere in spite of all persecution. 
It is as beneficial and least harmful perhaps 
in cities and large towns, where there are 
no gardens for it to molest or rob. We cannot over¬ 
look the fact, however, that sparrows devour seeds 
of all kinds that are not too large for them to 
swallow, also Pinks and Carnations fn winter and 
spring, the buds of gooseberries and currants, 
Crocuses, Polyanthus, Primulas, Pansies, Violas, 
Lettuces, Peas, when coming through the ground 
when in bloom, in pod, and when the seeds attain 
full size, and doubtless many other subjects. The 
good they effect does not seem to be precisely 
stated. 
Our Health in Winter—Dr. Andrew Wilson, writing in 
Lloyd’s Newspaper on diet, says: “ The teachingpf Nature Should 
never be neglected, and in the matter of winter food let us see 
we are not wrong, and take sufficient fat, for the changes that 
result in the wear and tear of our bodies are lessened in intensity 
by the fat of food, and the need for flesh is always less when fat 
forms a due proportion of our diet.” The Doctor proceeds to 
enumerate natural products that are admirable, among them 
“ Cocoa ” with its contained Cocoa Butter. Relatively to this 
it may be said that Epps's Prepared Cocoa retains all the con- ■ 
stituents of the natural Cocoa, including the oil or butter, intact, 
