of martins sitting on the telephone wires, apparently attracted by the new house, 

 which still lay upon the shed. 



Several passing teamsters noted the pitiable condition of the freezing birds 

 and offered to help raise the house for them. Tools were quickly brought and 

 in a few minutes the united efforts of the kindly workmen had swung into place 

 the heavy pole with its handsome bird house on top. While the last screw was 

 bein^ put into place, the birds, seeming to know that the house was for them, 

 darted eagerly into the dripping shelter. They were quite fearless of the men 

 on the roof of the shed and their twitterings of contentment could be distinctly 

 heard. The house has been inhabited every year since. 



I make all my bird houses of wood because I have found in long experience 

 that the birds prefer this material. I have, however, made some wren houses 

 from tin cans and they have been particularly successful, although they are apt 

 to get too hot in the summertime and should always be hung in semi-shade. I 

 have also made a number of houses from long-necked gourds. These houses are 

 better than the tin ones, but neither kind is as good as those well made of seasoned 

 wood. I use oak and clear white pine with cypress shingles, and on most of my 

 houses provide a copper top for durability as well as for beauty. 



The martin and bluebird houses, as I have explained, should be erected on 

 a pole, although I have won bluebirds by a hanging house as well as by one on 

 a pole. 



Probably most of us are drawn to the good work of protecting native birds 

 because there is such a keen pleasure in watching the life of these birds. At 

 the same time it is well that we should understand how important this protection 

 of the birds is to our future welfare. For a good many years after I began my 

 work for the birds I did not really appreciate how important a factor these birds 

 are in protecting the fruit and grains of this country. I now know by the work 

 of scientific authorities that the destructive work of insects in the United States 

 alone costs the country more than $800,000,000 every year. The scientists say 

 that the codling moth bites $12,000,000 a year right out of our apple crop alone, 

 and this little insect would take several times as big a bite but for the fact that 

 we spend $8,000,000 a year in spraying this one particular pest. Remembering 

 these big figures and the fact that they come from men who know, we will have 

 to look upon the native birds of America as great benefactors and necessary aids. 

 The year-book of the department of agriculture states positively that "by far the 

 most effecive aids to man in controlling the codling moth are our native birds." 



Scientists say that if the natural increase o^ Ihe gypsy moth were unchecked 

 it would result in the complete defoliation of all the trees in this country inside 

 qf eight years. The birds are our natural protectors, and by ignorance and 

 thoughtlessness we have allowed a great many of them to be driven away from 

 our gardens. We have not given them the encouragement and protection their 

 usefulness deserves. The birds not only bring beauty, charm, and cheer into our 



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