190 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



dming cherry time, one or two boys will drive them 

 away and keep them off from the fruit during certain 

 geasons, and the gardener may protect himself from 

 injury at a very trifling expense, without depriving 

 hioiself of the services of the most sharp sighted and 

 successful of all insect-destroyers. Farmers and 

 gardeners are beginning, however, to find out that 

 birds are their most useful allies. Nothing in the in- 

 sect tribe comes amiss to them, from the aphides of 

 the rose bush to the hedi )us caterpillars. And if 

 they do sometimes treat themselves to a cherry, who 

 can blame them, if after such a dinner they fancy a 

 little fruit for a desert, and who know but their quick 

 eye perceived a worm in the very cherry you grudge 

 them? "The laborer is worthy of his hire," and man can 

 well afford this compensation for their tireless industry. 



The Cherry Bird, of which your correspondent 

 "I. P." desires "a complete history," is of a brown- 

 ish grey color, with a deep black line from tho nostril, 

 over the eye, the hind head, bordered over by a slen- 

 der line of white. Chin black, gradually blending 

 into greyish brown. Six or seven, and sometimes all 

 the secondaries furnished with a ]jrolongation of their 

 shafts of a vermilion color, and resembling sealing 

 wax. Occasionally these appenages are seen on the 

 tail-feathers, and sometimes individuals are found with- 

 out them. 



This well known bird has various popular names. 

 Those of " Cedar bird," but perhaps better known as 

 " Cherry bird," are most common in this State. In 

 Massachusetts it is called "Canada robin," and by 

 the French Canadians it is known under the name of 

 RecoUet, from the color of it crest resembling the 

 hood of that religious order. It is also called the 

 " brown bird." It is distinguished for its beautiful 

 silky plumage, the gentle fondness of its disposition, 

 and of its gluttonous habits. They arrive from the 

 south about the middle of April, generally in fiocks, 

 and feed principally upon insects until the ripening of 

 mulberries, whortleberries, grapes and cherries. At 

 ihu season they are well known pests in the garden. 

 Thoy are best known, however, for their fondness of 

 cherries, which they devour with great greediness. — 

 They are not, however, exclusively frugiverous, but 

 repay the comparatively unimportant injuries which 

 they inflict on man, by ridding trees of the small 

 beetles, caterpillars and canker worms with which they 

 are infested. 



At the time of the ripening of cherries they are well 

 known to horticulturists as great pests. And should 

 we stop here in our investigation into the character 

 and habits of the Cherry bird, we should be com- 

 pelled to admit they had but little to recommend 

 them to the tender mercies of the cultivator of Ox- 

 Hearts and May Dukes, But we are happy, however, 

 to notice that the usefulness of this bird to the cul- 

 tivators of fruit, is at the present time more generally 

 acknowledged than it was when Mr. Wilson wrote 

 its history. The author supposed that " the use of 

 the Cherry bird to the farmer consists principally in 

 their agency in the transporting various kinds of seeds 

 and berries on which they feed, the action of the 

 stomach not injuring their vegetative powers. In 

 other respects, however, their usefulness to the farm- 

 er may be questioned; and in the general chorus of 

 the feathered songters. they can scarcely be said to 

 take part. We must rank them, therefore, far below 

 many more homely and minute warblers, their neigh- 

 bors, whom Providence seema to have formed both 



as allies to protect the property of ths husbandr 

 from devouring insects, and as musicians to cheer h 

 while engaged in the labors of the field, with thi 

 innocent and delightful melody." Such was I 

 Wilson's opinion of the merits of the Cherry bird. 

 Since this distinguished ornithologist's time, the ch: 

 acter of this bird is in better repute, we trust, amo 

 intelligent and discerning horticulturists; it havi 

 been found that the Cheriy bird is very useful in d* 

 troying the canker-worms. The period from thi 

 arrival, which we have said was about the middle 

 April, to the time of their pairing, which takes pla 

 about the first of June, is spent by these birds cc 

 gregated in small flocks, in procuring their insect foe 

 principally the canker-worms and small caterpilla 

 And in this connection we would notice the soc 

 habits of the Cherry bird, as observed by ourself 

 well as others. We have seen a flock, containi 

 some six or eight of these birds, after having silen 

 fed upon the canker-werms to repletion, seat the 

 selves in a row on a dry limb, in a state of listlessne 

 pluming their wings, and occasionally lisping th 

 feeble note, and thus quietly digesting their meal. 

 Presently one of their number, more vigilent than t 

 rest, discovers at a short distance from the perch 

 well-fed insect, which he at once seizes and politt 

 presents to his neighbor on his right, who declini 

 to partake of it passes it to the next, who also 

 fuses to eat it, and it is in this way sometimes pa?? 

 round several times before one can be found to s 

 cept it. Notwithstanding this disinterested trait 

 the character of the Cherry bird, they are sometin 

 gluttons in the extreme, gorging themselves with frc 

 until no more can be swallowed, and even in soi 

 cases, filling their throats so full as to cause suffoc 

 tion, resulting in death. Although we have said \ 

 fore, that these birds are the personification of m 

 chief to ^the cultivators of fruit, more especia 

 the cherry, yet, in view of the many insects, partic 

 larly that pestiferous one, the canker-worm, whi 

 they destroy from the time of their first arrival, 

 the ripening of our early fruits, we should pause wh 

 meditating some murderous design upon their live! 

 Springside, May, 1857. Beuen's. 



WHY DO FAEMEES SO GENERALLY NEGLECT THE 

 GABBENS I 



Messrs. Editors: — There are leisure moments fl 

 a farmer to cultivate a garden if he will, and hayM 

 good one too, but 



A angles after a warm shower, when he should II 

 transplanting. 



B begs his seeds of his neighbors, and is either c 

 short or must wait until others are done seeding. 



C cuts and hauls his wood, which should hai» 

 been done in the winter. 



D drives a fast horse, and must as frequently i 

 possible show himself on the road, believing himse 

 to be the most important personage in the coaimunit; 



E either dislikes garden sauce, or is too lazy t 

 attend to it. 



F forgets to manure his garden in the fall wit* 

 decomposed manure, and is obliged to use that whic 

 is unfeimented, and altogether unfit for the purpose 



G goes to law with his neighbor for some imag 

 nary damage done him or his, getting fleeced twio 

 once in time and once in money, but is sure to " gain 

 the suspicions and distrust of the oeighborhood. 



