338 STATE HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 



happens to prefer bird to fruit. Others will feel disposed to protect their fruit 

 iu the same way that they protect themselves against other noxious animals, 

 such as moles, mosquitoes, etc. 



KILL THE SPARROWS. 



H. E. Bidwell, of Plymouth, in this State, took boards that had been placed 

 near barrels in which apples were stored, and upon which many larvae of the 

 codling moth had congregated, carried them out and spread them on the ground 

 to have the birds and hens destroy them. He recounts what followed iu these 

 terms : 



I was greatly mortiGed to see the sparrows run over the cocoons in search of 

 wheat screenings thrown out to call them down. My sorrow was soon turned 

 to joy to behold a pair of blue birds come down as it were out of heaven, and 

 alight on the nearest bird house, doubtless occupied by them last season, but 

 which had been appropriated by the sparrows this winter. No sooner had they 

 alighted than their bright eyes discovered the cocoons on the boards, and they 

 darted down to secure the prize. 



Disgusted with the sparrows, I took a step ladder and commenced to clean 



out the sparrow's nest in the blue bird's house. I found in the strings that 



composed their nest two curculios, three snapping bugs, one bee miller, one 



old female codling moth, and two recently hatched moths. Examining the 



strings, I found webbings of worms and burnt edges of cloth, and ascertained 



that they had pulled the strings out of an old smudge left near a bee hive 



under an apple tree. This led me to examine the boards placed for the bee 



stands. (The bee hives had been removed to the cellar in the fiill.) On the 



boards exposed to the sparrows all winter were numerous cocoons. One pair of 



our own blessed little insectivorous birds is worth more to the fruit grower than 



all the imported sparrows. 



************** 



A correspondent of the New York Times takes the same view of the spar- 

 rows, closing a lengthy communication in substance as follows: 



Legislatures have passed laws protecting these pests, and farmers should insist 

 upon having these laws abolished. Sparrows are not insect-eating birds. They 

 devour the buds of trees in winter, and in summer devour fruit, grain and 

 seeds. They are, therefore, out of the list of useful birds. They are, however, 

 very good eating. They are always plump and fat, and are as good game as the 

 reed birds. They are sold in the English and French markets, and are accounted 

 a delicacy when entombed under the crust of a pie. It would be no pity to turn 

 them to this use here, and as farmers are undoubtedly justiGed in saving their 

 crops from the despoilers, they can not only do this but secure an agreeable 

 variation from the frequent pork and bacon by shooting and trapping them, 

 and having them served up in pies, or roasted in the oven. 



BEES AND HORTICULTURE. 



The following paper was read by W. Z. Hutchinson at the annual meeting of 

 our society iu Flint, December, 1882: 



