Evening star., 1915-06-13
All Around the Place.

English sparrows seem to have dis
covered another and a brand-new way
or being pests. Many gardeners in this
section report that the birds have de-
scended in f1ocks on fields of peas and
that they are doing much damage by
pulling Off and eating the blossoms and
blossom buds. as well as the newly
formed pods themselves. Several mar
ket gardeners whose places are along
the Eastern branch say the sparrows
have practically ruined the crops of
peas. this being the first year they have
found the blossoms buds and tender
young pods to their liking. These gar
deners say the sparrows visit the rows
or growing peas early in the morning
stripping off every blossom. every bud
and every newly formed pod. and even
in some instances attacking the tender
ends or the vines. No way has been
found to combat the attacks or to
frlghten the sparrOws away, except the
one of shooting into the fiocks which
can only be done with safety when the
peas are grown in a location remote
from dwellings. or when the birds are
On the fences or in the trees near the
gardens.
Many practical horticulturists prac-
tice the plan of vigorously pruning the
vested. When the peaches have been
gathered the trees are pruned back
until at last half Of the wood has been
removed. The cut ends of the limbs
and branches are smeared with coal tar
or with some good outdoor paint, and
the trees are given a thorough spray
ing. This plan. it is held gives the
trees an opportunity to make new.
fruit bearing wood during the present
growing season.
Plants for borders and bedding, for
late fall blooming must be set ont
ha ltof ,s,1,
late saliva. cannas. colei. gladioli and
the like. Bulbs of gladioli planted
now. if properly fertilized and watered
as they need it during dry weather,
should produce plenty of gorgeous
blossom spikes during late August and
September. The saliva that is set out
now will also bloom until late in the
summer, as will cannas that are given
rich soil and all the water they need
When planting potatoes for a late
crop it is well to treat the seed for
prevention of the various diseases to
which the tubers are subject A soIu-
ton OF bichloride of mercury, / to
lcaf to 1000 parts of water-will be
found efficacious. The uncut potatoes
should be soaked in the solution for
about fifteen minutes and allowed to
dry before being cut into seed pieces.
Cut the potatoes 80 that each piece
Will have at least one eye" rubbing
off the sprouts that may have started
Remember that bichloride of mercury
is a deadly poison. for which no anti
dote exists that is absolutely certain
One part of forma!in to twenty-five parts
of water makes a good solution in which
to soak seed potatoes, having the adyan
tage Of being practically non poisonous
and safe to handle.
termination of beans. sugar corn. etc
planted for late crops may be greatly
FASTENED by soaking the seed over
night in water. During hot, dry
weather such as'is to be expected from
now on. the seed may lie in the ground
for many days before terminating. the
lack of moisture in sufficient uuan
titles being the cause of the delay. If
the seeds are soaked in water until
they have absorbed all thew will hold
the warmth of the soil will cause the
germs to swell rapidly and the nlants
will come UP long before seeds pianted
dry have begun to push through the
ground.
Bearing in mind that raspberries and
blackberries bear fruit only one sea
son on each cane. and that canes that
bore this year will not bear next year.
try this plan as a guide in thinning out
the patches after the fruiting season:
Take short pieces of raffia, or strips
of muslin, and tie them to the fruiting
canes in such a manner that thew will
remain in place. Mark each fruit-pro-
ducing cane in this manner, and when
the bearing season is over, or at the
time selected for thinning out the
canes. cut out all that are SO marked
They have borne. and they will not
bear another year. SO the thing to do
Is to remove them and give the new
canes, which will produce next sea-
sons berries. chance to grow If the
canes that have produced berries this
m RI cd 10
of cutting out the wrong ones at thin
ming time and leaving a lot of canes
that will not bear and fruit next year,
but which will die Of their own accord