.  May  26,  1904. 
461 
JOURNAL  CF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
. 
SPRING  ONIONS. —  It  will  be  advisable  to  give  a  little 
attention  to  these  frequently  in  order  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of 
the  fly.  A  little  soot  scattered  along  the  rows  is  an  excellent 
preventive  if  done  frequently.  Gas  lime  is  also  a  preventive, 
but  care  is  necessary  in  its  nse. 
SPINACH. — More  round  leaf  Spinach  should  now  ^be 
sown.  This  may  be  sown  on  the  Celery  ridges.  The  drills; 
shonid  be  filled  with  water,  and  allowed  to  remain  for  half  an 
hour  before  the  seed  is  sown  ;  scatter  the  seed  thinly.  •, 
COLEWORTS. — The  seed  of  these  may  now  bb’ sown.  Treat 
the  .seed  drill  as  for  Spinach. 
CAPSICUIMS. — These  may  now  be  planted  out  in  a  warm, 
sheltered  border.  A  little  shelter  may  be  afforded  at  night 
until  they  become  warmer.  Ample  water  should  bo  given. — 
A.  T.,  Cirencester. 
- : - 
British  Birds. 
(Concluded  from  page  424). 
Aquatic  and  Semi=aquatic. 
The  Coot  (h'ulica  atra)  is  usually  found,  in  large  sheets  of 
water,  and  feeds  upon  water  insects  and  their  larvae,  slugs  and 
other  small  mollusca,  grasshoppers,  etc.,  seeds,  grasses,  and 
watercres.ses.  Its  depredations  in  Watercress  beds,  notwith¬ 
standing  its  usefulness  in  destroying  pests,  render  its  presence 
there  “  few  and  far  between,”  as  the  cultivator  does  not 
tolerate  it. 
The  Water-hen  (Gallinnla  chloropus)  is  rather  common 
along  the  reedy  banks  of  rivers  and  ponds,  and  i.s  a)  very  in¬ 
teresting  creature.  The  newly-hatched  young  look  like  round 
tufts  of  black  down,  swimming  and  diving  well,  and  often  fall 
a  prey  to  ever-hnngry  pike.  The  food  of  the  water-hen  or 
moorhen  is  very,  similar  to  that  of  the  coot. 
The  Little  Grebe  or  Dabchick  (Podiceps  fluviatilis  or 
minor)  is  a  splendid  diver.  It  feeds  upon  water  insects  and 
their  larvm,  also  small  fish. 
4'he  Common  Gull  (Larus  canus)  is  particularly  useful  on 
land  near  the  sea,  scouring  large  tracts  of  both  grass  and  arable 
land  at  times,  and  devouring  almost  everything  in  the  shape 
of  mollusca,  Crustacea,  insects,  or  larva?,  mice  and  voles  being 
dainties,  and  swallowed  head  foremoist.  I  have  had  several  in 
pleasure  grounds  and  gardens,  where  they  are  very  useful  by 
destroying  slugs  and  grubs,  mice  and  voles  ;  but  some  I  had 
took  to  pulling  vegetables  and  other  crops  to  pieces,  and  had 
to  be  discarded.  The  gull  will  make  itself  at  home  with  pohltry, 
and  eat  Peas,  Beans,  Wheat  Ac.,  as  well  as  any  vegetable  or 
animal  scraps.  It,  of  course,  will  devour  any  fi.sh  it  can  catch, 
also  frogs,  Ac. 
The  Mallard  or  'Wild  Duck  (Anas  locas  or  boschas)  fre¬ 
quents  large  ponds  or  lakes,  and  feeds  upon  tadpoles,  lizards, 
fry  of  fish,  Crustacea,  mollusca,  and  insects  and  larvie^  also 
vegetation,  corn,  and  seeds.  In  the  evening  and  morning  it 
scours  the  land  around  for  slugs  and  other  pests,  keeping  lawns 
in  excellent  order  as  regards  freedom  from  such  gentry.  This 
and  other  ducks  are  excellent  freers  of  the  surface  weeds  and 
confervie  that  infest  ponds,  particularly  duckweed. 
The  Teal  (Querquedula  Crecca),  the  smalle.st  of  our  ducks, 
feeds  chiefly  at  night,  and  does  much  good  on  land  surrounding 
ponds,  as  in  the  ponds,  its  food  being- similar  to  the  wild  duck. 
The  Heron  (Ardea  cinerea)  is  a  great  ornament  to  artificial 
water  as  well  as  natural,  and  feeds  mainly  upon  fish,  yet 
destroys  lizards,  frogs,  snakes,  rats,  mice,  water  and  other 
voles,  beetles,  and  various  insects. 
The  Kingfisher  (Alcedo  Ipsida),  as  beautiful  as  rare, 
has  not  only  a  strong  appetite  for  fi-eshwater  fish,  but  it  eats 
mollusca,  Crustacea,  leeches,  and  various  -nmter  insects. 
The  Dipper  (Cinclus  aqnaticus  or  Hydrorata  Cinclus),  is  one 
of  the  most  interesting  of  our  native  birds,  and  found  princi¬ 
pally  in  hilly  places  where  there  are  clear  and  raiiid  .streams, 
such  as  in  Derbyshire  and  Yoikshire.  It  lives  principally  upon 
aquatic  insects,  and  though  charged  with  eating  “fry”  of  fish 
upon  very  uncertain  evidence,  is  a  great  ornament  to  running, 
rocky  streams. 
The  Corncrake  (Crex  pratensis  or  Ortygometra  crex)  arrives 
in  England  at  the  beginning  of  April,  and  departs  in  September 
or  October.  During  the  early  part  of  the  summer  months 
its  harsh  cry  may  be  heard  in  almost  every  meadow,  but  after 
breeding  time  the  cry  ceases.  It  feeds  on  worms,  mollusca 
(slugs),  criLstacea  (woodlice),  myriopoda  (millipedes),  and 
insects;  also,  when  opportunity  offers,  on  corn. 
Several  other  birds  are  passed  over  as  being  of  little  interest 
to  cultivators,  ivho,  from  the  foregoing,  may  form  their  several 
deductions  on  the  merits  or  demerits  of  the  birds  more  or  less 
common  as  affecting  their  respective  cultures,  for  usefulness  or 
otherwi.se.  —  G.  Abbey. 
Miscellaneous  Notes. 
W.  Paul  and  Son’s  New  Roses. 
The  new  Rose  catalogue  of  lMe.ssrs.  W.  Paul  and  Son, 
Waltham  Cross,  describes  Countess  Cairns,  a  cerise  carmine  H.T. 
Rose;  Earl  of  Warwick,  an  H.T.  of  a  soft  salmon  pink  with  ver¬ 
milion  centre  ;  Irene  (H.T.)  silvery  white,  faintly  touched  with 
pink ;  and  Mrs.  Alfred  Byass,  a  crimson  decorative  Tea.  Irene 
is  figured  in  a  coloured  plate.  All  the  new  Ro.ses  from  all 
.sources,  of  1902  and  1903,  are  inclnded  in  the  catalogue. 
Vepmonel’s  Fpuit  Tree  Sprayer,  1904. 
The  vendors  of  this  new  sprayer  describe  it  as  powerful  and 
handy.  “It  can  be  used  either  with  a  single  lance,  or  with  two 
lances  to  operate  in  different  directions 
at  the  same  time.  The  reservoir, 
which  is  of  stout  copper,  holds  about 
20  gallons,  and  is  fitted  with  a  power¬ 
ful  copper  pump.  The  machine  is  sent 
out  complete  with  two  15  feet  lengths 
of  india-rubber  tithing,  with  unions ; 
two  3  feet  3  inches  brass  lances, 
with  taps  and  t^ermorel  improved 
nozzles ;  two  straight  jets  for  simple 
washing,  at  the  price  £9  5s.”  The 
’sole  agents  for  Great  Britain, 
Ireland,  and  the  Colonies  are  Messrs. 
Charles  Clark  &  Co.,  20,  Great  St. 
Helens,  London,  E.C. 
English  Bros.,  Ltd.,  Timber  Merchants  and  Creosoters. 
We  have  received  a  catalogue  from  this  firm,  which  explains 
the  extent  and  variety  of  their  business ;  and  as  it  contains 
illustrations  of  how  creosoting  is  accomplished,  and  of  various 
wooden  structures  as  farm  sheds,  fruit  stores,  gates,  fencing, 
Ac.,  it  will  be  found  useful  for  reference  by  many  of  our  readers. 
Their  head  office  is  at  Wisbech. 
“The  bu.siness  of  English  Brothers  and  their  predecessors” 
(they  state)  “has  been  established  for  upwards  of  a  century  as 
importers  of  timber  and  slates.  During  that  time  the  timber 
trade  has  seen  many  changes  and  great  development.  An 
immense  impetus  was  given  to  the  trade  by  the  railways,  for¬ 
merly  the  wood  being  distributed  about  the  country  by  means  of 
roads  and  canals  only.  In  the  earlier  days  of  our  bu.siness  there 
was  a  duty  payable  on  all  timber  imported,  necessitating  large 
lock-up  or  bonding  yards  and  numerous  customs  officials,  who 
superintended  the  deliveries,  fixed  the  hours  for  working,  Ac., 
and  generally  impeded  business.  In  those  days  steam  shipping 
was  unknown,  and  the  trade  was  by  small  sailing  craft,  in  some 
cases  carrying  mixed  cargo  of  grain  and  deckload  of  wood.  Now 
the  small  sailing  ship  has  nearly  disappeared,  and  steamships  of 
large  tonnage  have  replaced  them.  The  larger  sailing  ships  are 
still  employed  in  the  (I’anadian  and  pitch  Pine  trades,  and  from 
British  Columbia.  Tins  Columbian  or  Oregon  Pine  is  of  recent 
introduction  in  this  country,  it  is  sawn  from  very  large  trees, 
yielding  fine  dimensions,  entirely  free  from  sap  or  heart  shakes, 
quite  imobtainable  in  European  woods.”  Large  stock  of  well- 
matured  timbei-  of  the  following  kinds  are  always  on  hand 
Danzig.  Memel,  and  Riga,  Pitch  Pine.  Oregon  or  British 
Columbian  Pine,  Kauri  Pine  from  New  Zealand,  Quebec  Pine  and 
Canadian  Spruce  ;  Californian  Redwood  ;  American  Whitewood  ; 
Maple  Ac.  ;  Stettin  and  Danzig  Oak,  Wain.scot  Oak  from  Riga 
and  the  Adriatic,  Oak  staves.  Mahogany,  Teak,  Birch,  and  other 
hardwoods.  Deals,  battens,  and  boards  from  Archangel,  St. 
Petersburg,  Norwegian  and  Swedish  ports,  Finland,  Canada, 
British  Columbia,  New  Zealand,  America,  and  Australia,  in  all 
qualities  and  sizes. 
