THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602020064
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: REMINDERS
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
FEBRUARY IS National Wild Bird Feeding Month. Birds have to consume nearly 20 percent of their weight in near-zero weather just to keep warm and survive. The non-profit National Bird-Feeding Society urges people to keep feeders free from snow, debris and stale and soggy seeds. Also for the health of these feathered friends, accumulations beneath feeders should be swept up and disposed of.
Songbirds also need water for drinking and bathing. All birds need to maintain a ritual of preening their feathers, even in winter, to keep them warm. There are reliable water warmers that will keep a small amount of water at a comfortable level in below-freezing temperatures. SOUTHERN SOURCE FOR FRUIT
I recently discovered a fruit catalog that I'd not seen before. It comes from Georgia's largest fruit-tree grower, the Johnson Nursery. The 1996 catalog is free and features Asian persimmons, Asian pears, fig trees and selections of plums, cherries and peaches, plus many varieties of apples. Many kinds of fruit require a special variety to grow well in the South, so this family-owned nursery should be a good source.
For a catalog write to Route 5, Box 29J, Highway 52, Ellijay, Ga. 30540. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
W. ATLEE BURPEE & DO.
So Sweet is a new melon from Burpee Gardens that looks like a honey
dew but is very sweet, with a rich aroma and melting flesh like you
expect from a muskmelon. It matures in 80 days. Seed can be
purchased from Burpee or in garden centers for $2.95 for a packet
of 30 seeds.
by CNB