Monthly Bulletin 3 



is exceedingly attractive to fruit-eating birds. A mulberry tree planted near 

 the garden saves the strawberries and cherries. Juneberry, wild black 

 cherry, elder, buckthorn, mountain-ash are all fruit-savers so far as the birds 

 are concerned. But make no mistake ; however much of the garden fruit 

 the birds may take they pay for it many times over in the insect pests 

 which they exterminate. 



Let us, then, while we wage successful war by cultivating gardens to 

 their utmost capacity, also cultivate the birds. As first assistant gardeners 

 they have no equal. 



Because of the great shortage in potatoes and the consequent very high 

 prices the Federal Government is urging us all to grow as many potatoes 

 as possible. It should be noted that two birds are of especial value to the 

 potato-grower because they feed eagerly upon the worst pest which potato- 

 growers ever encountered — the Colorado potato-beetle. Unless these insects 

 which invariably infest our potato fields are energetically destroyed, no 

 potatoes can be grown. The larvae eat the vines down to the ground and kill 

 the plants. It costs the farmers of the Bay State thousands of dollars every 

 year to spray their growing potato vines with Paris green. Rose-breasted 

 grosbeaks, great destroyers of potato-bugs, have increased in numbers of 

 late years. They are protected at all times by law, but the quail which is 

 one of the most efficient insect-eating birds that we have is still on the list 

 as a gamebird. Probably the most efficient feathered protector that we can 

 have for our potato fields is the quail, and in many quarters, notably among 

 the grangers, the question of putting the quail on the songbird list is being 

 seriously considered. To remove the quail from the gamebird list would 

 cause great dissatisfaction among the sportsmen without doubt, but when 

 we consider that the war is to be won in our gardens and that the quail is 

 one of the most efficient assistant gardeners that we have it is a question 

 whether the quail, for the duration of the war at least, ought not to be free 

 from the menace of dog or gun. 



BIRDHOUSE Birdhouse contests are numerous the country over nowadays, 

 CONTESTS. especially at this time of year. In many instances numer- 

 ous prizes of considerable value are given, and the children 

 work manfully and with much ingenuity to produce prize-winning bird- 

 houses. Such a contest was recently held in Norwood, Massachusetts, ably 

 managed by the Conservation Department of the Norwood Woman's Club. 

 In this contest the children of different grades competed, two prizes being 

 offered in each grade, a first and second. Nearly two hundred birdhouses 

 were produced, some of them admirably adapted to the needs of the birds, 

 others astounding in their architectural ingenuity and diversity of arrange- 

 ment. All things considered, Norwood should be proud of its young bird- 

 house-builders, not only because of the diligence and ingenuity displayed, 

 but also for the universal interest that was taken in the work. The bird- 

 houses were exhibited in the Civic Centre and attracted a large and admiring 

 throng both day and evening. Worcester also has held its annual birdhouse 

 contest with very excellent results. Mrs. H. E. Witter, the Society's very 

 efficient Local Secretary for Worcester, reports that twenty-one prizes in all 

 were offered and one hundred and seventy-eight houses were built this year. 

 As only seventy-five were offered in this contest last vear it would seem that 

 the interest is increasing very rapidly. In both vears the Belmont Street 

 School has been the largest exhibitor. The prize-winning birdhouses will be 



