348 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Among the trees, shrubs and vines found on the estate 

 and which furnish food for birds in the shape of berries or 

 seeds at certain seasons of the year are the Berber is vulgaris 

 (common barberry), Vitis labrusca (Northern fox grape), 

 Rhus toxicodendron (poison ivy), Prunus americana (wild 

 yellow plum), Prunus pennsylvanica (wild red cherry), 

 Prunus virginiana (choke-cherry) , Prunus avium (English 

 cherry), Rubus occidental is (black raspberry), Rubus vil- 

 losus (high blackberry), Rubus idceus (garden raspberry), 

 Rosa nitida (wild rose), Pyrus malus (common apple), 

 Ribes rubrum (common red currant), Fraxinus americana 

 (white ash), Morus rubra (red mulberry), Quercus alba 

 (white oak), Quercus coccinea (scarlet oak), Pin us strobus 

 (white pine), Pinus rigida (pitch pine), Tsuga canadensis 

 (hemlock), Juniperus virginiana (red cedar). 



The orchard itself is a typical old orchard, such as is often 

 found on small farms. It has suffered greatly from neglect. 

 Two-thirds of the original trees have died or are in the last 

 stages of dissolution. This is largely the result of neglect 

 and improper pruning. Dead limbs and holes in the trees 

 offer nesting places for the wren, woodpecker and bluebird. 



For three years, from 1891 to 1893, inclusive, the trees 

 were trimmed and cared for. They were sprayed or banded 

 to protect them from canker-worms, and the " nests " of the 

 tent caterpillar (Clisiocampa americana) were removed. 

 The result was a scanty yield of apples from most of the 

 trees. One or two bore quite plentifully. 



In order to observe the effect of the feeding of birds in 

 the orchard, no care was taken in 1894 to protect the 

 trees. During that year the tent caterpillars were very 

 numerous in the vicinity, and it became evident also that 

 a great increase in the number of canker-worms was taking 

 place in the neighborhood. Although these insects made 

 considerable inroads upon the trees, they did not seriously 

 injure the foliage anywhere except in one or two instances. 

 No attempt had been made previous to the year 1895 to 

 foster or encourage the birds in the neighborhood, except 

 that a few nesting boxes were put up in 1894, which were 

 occupied in one case by a family of wrens and in another by 



