BIRDS AND THE ORCHARD 



upon the young fruit buds and in due course upon the 

 leaves, hanging by silken cords from the branches. 

 In this case it would have been better and cheaper to 

 have left the birds alone rather than to have cultivated 

 such a magnificent crop of caterpillars. These, of 

 course, carried on the mischief on a much more 

 extensive scale the following year." 



Mr Joseph Witherspoon, of Red Rose Vineries, 

 Chester-le-Street, writes as follows : — 



" Of that class of people, forming so large a 

 portion of our population (in England), who never 

 bestir themselves save when their interests are attacked, 

 birds have much reason to complain. With them a 

 bird's existence is ignored, save during the short 

 period of the year when, undoubtedly, they do consume 

 somewhat of that which is of more or less value. It 

 was my fortune to be reared in a school where birds 

 were certainly not regarded as friends. My father, 

 a market gardener, encouraged me to destroy every 

 nest I found ; and it was possessed with much the 

 same feeling that, after being engaged in other pursuits 

 for thirty years, I returned to the calling of my boyhood, 

 and also commenced growing fruit under glass. I 

 soon discovered that insects were seriously destructive 

 both inside and outside, and believing that a good 

 sharp frost would rid us of the latter, I longed for a 

 hard winter. The following winter we had 39 degrees 

 of frost, or below zero. Even fruit trees of some 

 varieties were killed, and as for birds, in some places 

 they were all but extinguished. From this period, 

 sixteen years ago, you may date my becoming a close 



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