398 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
May  11,  183? 
friends ;  we  underrate  the  foe,  we  undervalue  the  friend.  We  are 
like  gamekeepers — hostile  to  everything  save  our  own  particular 
charge.  Even'^the  pugnacious  thieving  sparrow  has  its  adherents, 
and  the  maurading  crow;  both  have  done  good  work,  both  are 
capable  of  great  mischief.  Both  have  been  allowed  to  overstep 
reasonable  limits.  They  were  accorded  a  little  grace,  they  have  no<v 
become  our  masters. 
Of  the  two  birds  of  which  we  would  speak,  one  is  most  graceful 
in  form,  most  elegant  in  motion,  and  possessing  rich  glossy  plumage. 
Hirundo  rustica,  or  swallow,  comes  to  us  about  the  middle  of 
April,  and  takes  its  leave  the  latter  end  of  September  or  early  in 
October.  In  fact  the  duration  of  its  stay  depends  upon  the  duration 
of  insect  life.  Sometimes,  poor  birds,  for  the  first  few  weeks  their 
meals  must  be  scanty.  It  is  not  the  swallow  that  makes  the  summer, 
and  if  cold  winds  prevail  and  frosty  nights  follow  insect  life  is 
checked,  and  insectivorous  birds  have  but  a  sad  time  of  it.  We 
remember  one  very  cold  spring  finding  many  drad  swallows.  We 
do  not  think  it  was  the  cold  that  had  killed  them,  but,  from  their 
attenuation,  lack  of  food. 
They  wage  war  on  flies  of  every  kind,  many  gnats,  small  moths> 
and  beetles  on  the  wing.  They  may  be  seen,  too,  picking  up  such 
insects  as  are  found  on  the  ground.  As  their  food  is  entirely  insect 
life,  it  would  be  a  nice  calculation  to  arrive  at  the  number  of  deaths 
they  are  guilty  of  during  a  long  summer's  day. 
When  large  gnats,  such  as  “daddy  longlegs”  and  crane  flies 
merge  from  the  pupal  state,  towards  the  end  of  summer,  and  in  their 
heavy  flight  pass  over  fields  and  lawns,  the  swallow  is  there  awaiting 
them.  Perhaps,  however,  it  is  the  Hop  planter  who  owes  them  the 
greatest  debt  of  gratitude.  His  is  a  precarious  calling;  the  poor  Plop 
nlants  are  liable  to  attacks  from  so  many  enemies,  and  from  one 
of  these  enemies  the  swallow  does  much  to  free  the  Hop  bine. 
It  is  a  curious  fact,  and  one  worthy  of  note,  that  since  the  swallow 
has  been  on  the  decrease  during  the  last  fifteen  years,  the  Hop  flies 
or  aphides  of  Phorodon  Ilumuli  have  terribly  increased.  This  blight, 
the  result  of  the  fly  attack,  is  now  almost  annual  instead  of  occurring 
as  it  used  to  do  once  in  every  three  or  four  years.  When  the  aphides 
leave  the  Hop  gardens  for  their  w’inter  quarters  on  Plum  and  Damson 
trees,  the  swallow  is  in  wait  for  them,  and  does  make  havoc  in  their 
ranks ;  but  where  are  the  swallows  ?  Whose  fault  is  it  that  they  are 
not  here  ? 
The  swallow  is  not  a  bird  that  our  boys  torment,  they,  or  the 
most  of  them,  treat  this  foreign  visitor  with  fair  courtesy,  but  it  is 
the  wretched  little  quarrelsome  sparrow.  Passer  domesticus,  which 
has  driven  away  the  swallow.  He  is  always  with  us,  winter  and 
summer,  and  being  on  the  spot,  seizes  and  holds  by  main  force  the 
best  nesting  places,  and  keeps  them  against  all  comers.  This  is  one 
of  the  outcomes  of  the  sentimental  crj’,  “  Oh  !  spare  the  sparrow ;  he 
is  the  farmer’s  friend.”  He  is  all  very  well  in  the  proper  place,  but 
he  now  has  got  beyond  all  bounds,  not  only  doing  vast  har.m 
himself,  but  driving  away  those  birds  which  are  of  the  greatest 
value. 
Then,  again,  the  swallow’s  wing  is  of  beautiful  shape,  the  colour 
fine,  and  Fashion  says,  “Trim  with  wings;  all  sorts,  every  kind ;”  and 
the  death  warrant  of  the  swallow  is  sealed.  What  can  we  say  ? 
Shame  covers  us  as  with  a  garment,  and  we  blush  for  our  sisters, 
who  are  sinning  so  ignorantly. 
The  second  bird  which  is  such  a  friend  to  the  husbandman  is  also 
a  summer  visitor,  the  spotted  fly-catcher,  Muscicapa  grisola.  It  is 
hardly  here  as  soon  as  the  swallow,  and  does  not  come  in  such  large 
numbers,  and  possibly  is  not  so  well  known. 
For  years  several  pairs  have  nested  in  our  garden,  and  we  notice 
their  arrival  directly,  not  so  much  from  their  colour,  as  for  their 
quick,  sharp  flights ;  hawking  flights,  one  might  say ;  nothing  but 
insects — moths,  flies,  beetles  and  aphides.  A  pair  were  watched  one 
day,  and  they  brought  food  to  the  nest  537  times,  and  as  they  would 
bring  as  many  as  four  and  five  flies  at  a  time,  they  prove  pretty 
clearly  they  have  a  mission  which  they  fulfil.  Proof  is  wanting  that 
this  bird  is  injurious  to  fruit;  no  remains  have  ever  been  found  in  the 
stomach.  Tiu",  they  are  among  the  fruit,  for  it  is  there  they  have 
their  happy  hunting  grounds. 
They,  too,  are  of  immense  value  to  the  Hop-grower,  and  do  their 
share  in  destroying  the  dreaded  flies.  The  saw-fly,  the  pest  of 
Gooseberry  growers,  is  also  a  favourite  diet  with  them ;  their 
quick  eye  and  quicker  bill  will  do  work  that  no  human  hand 
would  undertake. 
Why  this  valuable  bird,  with  the  swallow,  should  not  be  strictly 
preserved,  we  fail  to  see.  We  do  not  know  our  friends,  or,  if  w^e  do,, 
we  but  tardily  acknowledge  their  services.  We  find  that  abroad,  in 
a  certain  measure,  the  swallow  has  a  “close  time.”  We  might  do 
worse  than  follow  the  foreigner’s  good  example. 
WORK  ON  THE  HOME  EARM. 
The  district  reports  in  the  agricultural  papers  have  been  lately 
amusing,  as  well  as  interesting.  There  is  always  a  great  diversity  of 
opinion  amongst  them,  which  is  natural,  when  the  very  widely  differing 
conditions  of  soil  and  climate  are  considered  ;  but  we  do  not  often  see 
such  flat  contradictions  as  we  have  just  now.  Oae  man  thinks  the  weather 
and  everything  else  perfect ;  another,  only  twenty  miles  away,  has  got 
little  or  no  work  done  for  a  month,  and  writes  in  very  low  spirits.  There 
must  be  difference  of  temperament  here,  as  well  as  of  soil  and  climate. 
Much  more  rain  has  fallen,  and  some  farmers  have  no  doubt  found 
much  difficulty  in  finishing  their  spring  corn  .sowing,  and  this  only 
shows  again  the  wisdom  of  getting  on  whilst  the  sun  shines  and  the  land 
is  in  good  condition.  Some  farmers  make  rules  not  to  drill  before  a 
certain  date,  but  it  is  better  to  take  advantage  of  favourable  opportunities, 
even  if  they  occur  before  the  conventional  time. 
The  same  thing  may  be  said  as  regards  the  Turnip  crop,  but  the 
conditions  must  be  good.  Warnath  is  the  important  factor  in  growing 
young  Turnips,  and  if  May  be  cold  and  wet  wait  until  June.  We  like  to 
see  a  little  reek  of  dust  behind  the  drill,  and  if  the  sun  be  shining  hotly, 
and  the  ground  feel  warm  to  the  hand,  keep  the  drill  hard  at  work  until 
all  is  finished. 
Cabbages  may  still  be  planted,  as  the  weather  is  more  favourable  than 
it  generally  is  in  May  for  young  plants  making  a  start.  Mangold  has 
not  been  easy  to  get  in  well,  but  with  such  abundance  of  moisture  there 
should  be  an  excellent  plant,  and  all  that  is  wanted  is  warmth  and 
sunshine. 
Spring  tares  sown  now  will  be  very  useful  in  harvest.  If  not  wanted 
for  the  horses,  they  will  come  in  for  the  cows  or  lambs.  The  latter  have 
generally  been  a  good  crop,  and  there  has  been  less  than  the  usual 
mortality  amongst  the  ewes.  Lambs  are  doing  well,  though  pastures 
still  are  not  great.  Ewes  must  soon  be  clipped,  and  may  be  washed  any 
time,  the  clipping  taking  place  as  soon  afterwards  as  the  weather  is 
warm  enough.  We  think  the  risk  of  losing  ewes  from  too  early  clipping 
less  than  that  of  finding  them  dead  after  being  overturned  a  few  hours. 
They  require  very  close  and  frequent  shepherding  just  before  clip-day. 
Cattle  are  doing  well  out.  There  is  not  much  grass,  but  apparently 
sufficient.  Sunshine  and  a  warmer  wind  are  wanted. 
METEOROLOGICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Camden  Square,  London. 
Lat.  51°  32'  40"  N.;  Long.  0°  8'  0"  W.;  Altitude  111  feet. 
Date. 
9  A.M. 
In  the  Day. 
1899. 
April. 
and 
May. 
jmeter 
!°,  and 
Level 
Hygrometer 
Direc¬ 
tion  of 
Temp, 
of  soil 
at 
Shade  Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Tempera¬ 
ture. 
Bain, 
c3  D 
Wind. 
Dry. 
Wet. 
1  foot 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun 
On 
Grass 
inchs 
deg. 
deg. 
N. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
inchsk 
Sunday  . . . . 
Monday  .... 
Tuesday  . . . . 
Wednesday 
Thursday  . 
Friday . 
Saturday.... 
30 
30-094 
46-1 
40-4 
49-2 
54-3 
41-8 
106-4 
40-0 
1 
30-205 
50-2 
44-8 
S. 
48-9 
58-3 
41-1 
95-2 
34-1 
_ 
2 
29-884 
66-6 
50  9 
N. 
48-9 
64-4 
46-7 
10/ -8 
42"^ 
— 
3 
30-028 
46-7 
44  1 
N.E. 
50-0 
57-4 
44-8 
107-1 
43-9 
— 
4 
30-255 
47-6 
42-0 
N. 
49-0 
57-2 
34-6 
104-8 
29-9 
— 
5 
30-422 
49-3 
41-7 
N.E. 
48-1 
58-6 
34-4 
108-4 
29-2 
_ 
6 
30-433 
51-1 
44-9 
N.E. 
■48'8 
6-2  2 
34-7 
111-4 
30-8 
— 
30-189 
49-7 
44-1 
49-0 
58-9 
39-7 
105-9 
35-7 
— 
REMARKS. 
30th.— Frequent  heavy  cloud,  but  much  bright  sun. 
1st.— Overcast  all  day. 
2nd.— Alternate  cloud  and  sunshine  during  day  ;  overcast  evening. 
3rd.— Overcast  and  spots  of  rain  early  ;  alternate  sun  and  cloud  from  10.45  ; 
bright  afternoon. 
4th.— Brilliant  and  cool  early ;  cloudy  at  intervals  during  day. 
5th.— Brilliant  early,  and  bright  day,  with  cool  N.B.  wind,  but  hazy  or  cloudy 
occasionally. 
6th.— Brilliant  day,  with  cool  N.E.  breeze. 
A  fine  week,  average  temperature,  and  a  few  slight  frosts  on  grass.— 
— G.  J.  Symons. 
