106 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



TiiE Benefit of Birds. 



Mr. D. A. Barker, North Bergen, speaks of the immense number 

 of caterpillars which infested their trees in 1862, not those called^ 

 tent caterpillars, but the more voracious sort which came afterward. 

 There were so many that they ate most of the leaves off the trees. 

 After they had wound their cocoons, there was one in nearly every 

 leaf that remained. After they had been in their cocoons till 

 their bristles came off, and their wings began to form, we observed 

 a flock of blackbirds busy in the trees, from morning till night. 

 On examining -sve found they were picking the imps out of the 

 cocoons, and putting them in their crops. Of course we got no 

 apples the next year, but in 1864 I sold $500 worth, from an acre 

 and a half, and sold too early at that, or I should have $600. The 

 trees are full of blossom buds now, but the mercury was down to 

 30 this morning, April 24, still the little caterpillars are all alive 

 yet, and I guess the fruit buds are. Tell your readers to look for 

 both kinds of worms, and to hope for the blackbirds in June and 

 July. 



Dr. E. Parker, Lehman, Luzerne Co., Pa., recommends the use 

 of w^hale oil soap to keep the worms off the trees. It should be 

 applied with a brush or sponge, in the forks of the limbs where 

 the}^ make their nests. We have no doubt petroleum or gas tar 

 would be equally effective. 



Sleeping Rooms — Are ELEVATEii Ones most Healthy? 

 Mr. Isaac Bond, Washington city : " Are low story rooms equally 

 healthy as lodging rooms with those of upper stories ? I have 

 long been led, perhaps more by prejudice, or the opinions of 

 others, than by facts or good reasons, to believe up-stairs decidedly 

 the better ; but finding the one-story plans given in Miss Beecher's 

 book, aforesaid, without a hint or misgiving as to their being less 

 healthful, while the sole or chief object of the work, which appears 

 excellent in all other respects, so far as I have read it, is to improve 

 the health of American women, I have been led to question my 

 old opinions, and to inquire whether sleeping on the first floor 

 would do more harm to my whole family of five, than going to 

 the second story about ten times a day would do my wife, w^ho is 

 not very strong, and two very young daughters? If you can 

 furnish facts or sound reasons, bearing upon this question, they 

 will doubtless benefit many others no less than myself. I may 



