Birds and the Fruit-Farm 309 



their black list. Perhaps the wrens, the martins, 

 the bluebirds, the barn-swallows have a poor 

 opinion of you. Perhaps they look upon you (and 

 your cats and your gun) as avowed enemies. Of 

 cotuse you cannot expect a ten per cent, bird- 

 profit on demand. Even birds know their friends, 

 resent bad usage, and prefer worms on a friendly 

 farm to worms and guns on an enemy farm. Try 

 it and learn for yourself. A tin can with a family of 

 birds within is to be preferred to a yellow, pink, blue, 

 red, green, mansard-roofed, laundry, bath-roomed, 

 be-porched bird-palace on a purple pole, — and no 

 birds. Nail an empty can up in the tree and watch 

 results; or, let the thirteen new kittens come to 

 cathood and watch results; or, let pothunters 

 roam over your place and watch results; or, execute 

 State and Federal laws, and listen to yotu* own 

 interests, and watch results. And if you wish to 

 amuse the children, — of course it will not interest 

 you; but if you do wish to amuse the children, some 

 rainy afternoon, you might obtain from the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, at Washington, — ^for the 

 asking, — a copy of Birds of a Maryland Farm, or 

 the handsomely illustrated Birds of California in 

 Relation to the Fruit Interests. Dr. Beal, the learned 

 author, tells plenty of facts which apply to all parts 

 of our coimtry. Of course there is no ignorance as 

 to birds in America. Are we not a highly educated. 

 Christian people? Why do we want a book about 

 birds? Would not what we do not know about 

 birds make a book. We kill them right and left; 



