244 FLOWER GARDENING 



Different birds require different kinds of encour- 

 agement The black-winged yellow bird, or Arner^- 

 ican goldfinch, is sure to come in summer if there 

 are cornflowers going to seed. So long as the seeds 

 are good pickings, count on his company. And 

 among the blue blossoms he is one of the prettiest 

 of garden sights. Always have some cornflowers 

 for the goldfinches. Later the juncoes and chicka- 

 dees will be frequent visitors if you have been con- 

 siderate enough to plant a few sunflowers for them. 

 The big Russian sunflower is best and with careful 

 arrangement is not inimical to beauty in a garden 

 picture. Have enough of them somewhere on the 

 place to attract the birds until late autumn. 



In the spring the male purple grackle, with the 

 lustre fresh on his plumage, is a beautiful figure in 

 the garden. The grackles and starlings walk 

 leisurely over the beds and borders and the robins 

 hop about all in search of earth food, and not 

 over-timid. The chipping sparrow, whose nest may 

 be in the clematis vine that shades the piazza, and 

 the yellowhammer are likewise neighborly; the 

 rose-breasted grosbeak and great-crested flycatcher 

 drop in occasionally; the bluebird, warbling vireo, 

 kingbird, bluejay, downy woodpecker and Balti- 

 more oriole spend much time in the trees overhead; 

 the ruby-throated humming bird buzzes around the 

 flowers day in and day out, resting at long intervals 

 on a branch, and it may be that the screech owl, 

 looking for his prey, is in the garden of a night. 



The starling is very fond of the fruit of the com- 



