House and Garden 
The Greatest Stories 
For Boys. 
THE 
North Pole Series 
BY Prof. Edwin J. Houston, 
Scientist, Teacher and Author 
Three Volumes;—The Search for the North Pole, 
The Discovery ofthe North Pole, 
Cast Away at the North Pole. 
$t.00 Each; in Sets or Separately 
Every Boy Should 
Have These Books 
At all bookstores; or sent by publisher on receipt of price 
The John C. Winston Co., Phila. 
Of tlicse Hoolcs, 
REAR ADMIRAL MELVILLE, 
Tlio Oreat Arctic Ex¬ 
plorer, says: 
‘ ‘Most vividly, though carelully 
portrayed. Of great interest to 
the Youth of our Country." 
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HOUSE AND GARDEN 
1006 Arch Street Philadelphia 
of fine flavor and very juicy; Big Col- 
man, an immense purple grape of attrac¬ 
tive appearance, somewhat too solid and 
lacking in juice, and the Black Alicante 
and Queen Victoria, both acceptable as 
to quality and flavor. These grapes are 
sold on the Belgian retail markets all the 
year round, at prices varying with the 
seasons, from about fifteen cents to 
per pound. In the last few years the 
cultivation of peaches, in connection 
with grapes, has also become quite 
profitable, and, although still practiced 
on a limited scale, has produced excel¬ 
lent results, the yield being first class in 
every respect. 
The cultivation of strawberries, toma¬ 
toes, spinach, lettuce, asparagus, and 
chicory under glass is also carried on in 
this district by syndicates, which regu¬ 
late production as well as prices. 
Grapes grown in this consular district 
are exported largely to England, Ger¬ 
many, Russia, and Denmark, and occa¬ 
sionally in small quantities to the 
United States.— Florists’ Exchange. 
BIRDS AS INSECT DESTROYERS 
I 'HE immense value of the insect- 
eating birds to farmers and the 
country at large is so well knovn that 
their protection is evidently necessary 
to the welfare of any country. The 
value of certain kinds of birds has been 
recently strongly emphasized through 
the invasion of the cotton-growing States 
by the boll weevil. In spite of every 
effort to stay its march this insect is 
spreading at the rate of about fifty miles 
a year, and sooner or later it is certain to 
infest the entire cotton producing area. 
This not only seriously affects the South¬ 
ern cotton planter, but its ultimate con¬ 
sequence will affect the well-being of the 
whole country. 
While birds are the natural enemies 
of the weevil, they are alone inadequate 
to the task of controlling the ravages of 
this pest. The losses which it inflicts 
are so large, however, that no aid can he 
safely neglected, especially when so im¬ 
portant as the services rendered by 
birds. The different species of swallo\\ s 
are among the most important enemies 
to the boll weevil, yet they breed only 
sparingly in Texas and elsewhere in the 
South. They are migratory, coming 
North in early spring, raising their young 
and going South to spend the winter. 
They are equally important to Northern 
In irritjifj fn advertisers please mentian TIou.sb and Oardkn. 
