448 nOARD OF AGRICULTURK. 



^ 



simrrow, juiu-o and other sparrow:^ tliat swann down from Canada and 

 food in tlic rank growth of weeds bordering roadsides and cultivated tields. 

 He examined the stomachs of many sparrows and found them entirely 

 fdled witli weed seed and concluded that each bird consumed one-fourth 

 an ounce daily. Upon this basis, malcing fair allowance for the number 

 of birds per siiuare mile, he calculated that in the State of Iowa alone the 

 tree sparrow annually destroys about one million, seven hundred fifty 

 thousand pounds of weed seed during its winter sojui-n. "Think of it" 

 wails our millinery editor, "sjiirits of the skies, nothing but weed seed 

 destroyers." 



The food habits of the common birds have been thoroughly studied in 

 this way. Birds are taken in every month of the year in every part -of 

 the country. The stomach contents are carefully examined and the re- 

 sults of the examination tabulated and pul)lished. Any one who wants 

 to take the trouble to ask, can have much of this data at hand to help him 

 in detei'mining the value of any bird about which he wishes to know. 

 All in all, the impression is gaining ground that it is not good business to 

 indiscriminately destroy the birds, even those that seem for the moment 

 to be doing harm. 



I was entertained for a few hours a short time ago by a woman Avhose 

 husband owns a large farm in Morgan County. We were speaking of 

 quail, and she said that they had not as yet posted their farm, as her hus- 

 band was afraid people would think he was mean if he did, but he was 

 going to. A neighbor of theirs who had his farm very completely posted 

 was shooting on our farm, she said, and my husband asked him if he did 

 not post his own farm and he said, "Oh, yes, he would not allow shooting 

 on his farm: he was satisfied that the birds were useful and as his farm 

 was small, he could not afford to allow them to be shot." 



When every farmer, horticulturist and Audubonist in the country 

 unite, perhaps they may be equal 'to the suppression of the cheap gun, 

 operated by the still cheaper man or boy, and till they do. we may all 

 pay tribute that these boys and men may have their sport. 



President Stevens: The next will be by Prof. Amos AV. Butler on 

 "Birds and Fruits." 



BIRDS AND FRUITS. 



PROF. AMOS W. BUTLER, INDIANAPOLIS. 



A fruit grower is one who grows fruits. We find people in our State 

 who are trying to grow fruits, and those Avho are actually growing fruits. 

 A man who raises fruit should know how to raise it to his best interest, 

 how to raise the best quality, and how to market his crop. There are 



