“ 
all aa 
cle! 
See 
April 1, 1909 
The Young Holks : 
Invitations. 
The Daffodils are nodding; 
There’s a swaying of the trees; 
The playroom window rattles 
To the fragrant summer breeze 
There is sunshine in the garden, 
And the bees are all a-hum 
O, hark, the invitaticn— 
‘You must come, come, come!” 
The butterfly is glancing 
On his wings of golden hue; 
Ah! zee where now he loiters 
Over that bed of pansies blue; 
A moment since he hovered 
At this very window-pane, 
To see if we were coming 
To the garden and the lane. 
Fats! Hats! for those who want them, 
Boots! Boots!—oh, lace them do! 
Fling open doors and w ndows, 
To let the sunshine through! 
When bird and bees and blossoms 
Iuvite us out to play, 
Oh, who could well refuse them 
Upon so bright a day? 
eee 
Conundrums. 
Why is an orange like a church 
steeple ? 
Because we have a peal from it. 
What word is that to which, if yon add 
a syllable, it will make it shorter? 
Short (short-er). 
yy hat is the difference between a cat 
and a specch ? 
The one has its c aws-at the end of its 
paws, and the other has its pauses at the 
end of its clauses. 
Why is a fireplace like Westminster 
Abbey ? 
Because it contains the ashes of the 
‘grate (great). 
If all the vowels could speak, why ° 
would O only be able to make itself 
heard ? 
Becaus» all the rest are in. canyifianta. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
Birds’ Nests that are Haten. 
Doubtless many of our readers have 
real of birds’ nests which are eaten or 
made into soups, but probably few have 
any idea what they are like. 
The esculent swallow which build these 
inhabit 
Java, and in appeurance closely resemble 
nests, Borneo, “Ceylon, and 
the swallows so well known to us. 
The nests dre built against the sides 
of precip'tous rocks, and are composed uf 
asicky fluid supplied by glands below 
the tonque. 
Nothing else apparently enters into 
g ubinovs 
The birds take infinite pains 
in making these dainty little structures 
for they are composed cntirely of these 
gummy threads carried backwards and 
forwards. 
construction beyond  tiis 
secretion. 
These threads quic\ly dry and 
harden, and the little home becomes 
firmly attached t» the face of the rock. A 
nest takes about two months to contruct; 
each contains two eggs, pale and trans- 
lucent like the nest itself. 
Collecting these nests is dangerous 
work, but nevertheless forms quite an 
industry. Men are lowered down the 
face of cliffs by means of ropes; they 
knock out the nests and place them in 
bags, which are then drawn to the top. 
When placed in hot water the nests 
soften and swell; it is claimed they make 
excellent and nourishing soup. They are 
so much sought after that they fetch a 
high price and are esteemed a luxury. 
Lady: What is it, little ae 
uittle Jim (carcvying a cit): I came to 
claim the reward you offered for the return 
of your canary. 
Lady: But that is a cat. 
Jim: Yes; but the canary is inside. 
Race en reece nceceee 
‘Mother,’ said a little girl. ‘taay I go to 
the fancy-dress ball as a milkmaid?’ | 
‘No,’ replied her mother, ‘you are too 
small.’ 
‘Well, can’t I be a condensed milk- 
maid?” 
\ 
Ree reseeeresrecses es 
‘ Are you going to spend your summer 
at the seaside ?” 
‘No; [ fear I shouldn’t enjoy myself.’ . 
- Why not ?” , 
‘Well, I haven’ t anything to spend but 
the summer.’ 
PReN & 
“ Australian 
Gardener” Office, 
Corner Pirie & Wyatt Sts. 
Send us 
WILLIAM CARR, 
Furniture Manufacturer 
and Repairer, : 
Locksmith, Saw Sharpener.. 
along a trial order. 
Carpets Cleaned and Relaid, 
All work artistically and promptly 
executed, 
Country anieE attended to on shortest. 
notice. 
Tease moderate 
20 Hanson Street, Adelaide. 
F. W. PREECE, 
For 20 years with Messrs. E. S. 
: Wigg & Son, 
Bookseller and Stationer. 
Books for Farmers and Gardeners.. 
THE FERTILITY OF THE LAND, 5th 
ed., 19.6, by J P. Roberts. 6/; posted 6/7 
MILK AND ITS PRODUCIS, 9th ed.,, 
19)5 by H. H. Wing. 5/; posted 5/5. 
THE FEEDING OF “ANIMALS, 3rd ed., 
1905, by W. H. Jordan. 6/; posted, 6/5. 
PRAC TIOAL GARDEN BOOK, 4th ed, 
1:04, by °. E. Hunn and L, H. Bailey. 
4]; posted 4/4. 
A trial solicited. 
Works by L. H. Bailey. 
Principles of Vegetable Gardening, 5th ed, 
1906. 6/; posted 6/8. 
Principles of Fruit Growing, 9th ed. 1906, 
6/; posted 6/7. 
Principles of Agriculture. 10th ed., 1906. 
8/; posted, 8/11, 
Garden M: aking, 11th ed.. 
5/5. 
Occup Rule Pook, new and 
revised ed., 19 7. 3/6; posted. 3/10. 
The Forcing Pook, 6th ed., 1906. 5/;. 
posted, 5/4, 
The Pruning Book, 7th ed., 
posted, 6/6. 
36 King William Street. 36 
1907, 5/; posted, . 
1906, 6/5. 
