BIRDS USEFUL TO FARM AND ORCHARD— BLACKBERRY 



645 



Friinkliirs Gull 



Larus fraiiklini 



Length. 15 inches. During its residence 

 in the United States Franl\lin's gull is 

 practically contined to the interior and is 

 the only inland gull with black head and 

 red bill. 



Raii^e 



Breeds in the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota 

 and the neighboring parts of Southern 

 Canada; winters from the Gulf coast to 

 South America. 



Habits and Economic Status 



Nearly all of our gulls are coast-loving 

 species and spend comparativel.v little of 

 their time in fresh water, but Franklin's 

 is a true inland gull. Extensive marshes 

 bordering shallow lakes are its chosen 

 breeding grounds, and as many such 

 areas are being reclaimed for agricultural 

 purposes it behooves the tillers of the 

 soil to protect this valuable species. When 

 undisturbed this gull becomes quite fear- 

 less and follows the plowman to gather 

 the grubs and worms from the newly 

 turned furrows. It lives almost exclus- 

 ively upon insects, of which it consumes 

 great quantities. Its hearty appetite is 

 manifest from the contents of a few 

 stomachs: A, 327 nymphs of dragon flies; 

 B. 340 grasshoppers. 52 bugs, three bee- 

 tles, two wasps, and one spider: C, 82 

 beetles, 87 bugs, 984 ants, one cricket, 

 one grasshopper, and two spiders. About 

 four-fifths of the total food is grasshop- 

 pers, a strong point in favor of this bird. 

 Other injurious creatures eaten are bill- 

 bugs, squash bugs, leaf hoppers, click 

 beetles (adults of wire worms). May 

 beetles (adults of white grubs), and 

 weevils. Franklin's gull is probably the 

 most beneficial bird of its group. 



Henry W. Hexshaw, 



WashinEton. D. C. 



The above descriptions are taken from T'. R. 

 Dept. Agri. Farm. Bui. 513. Other references 

 to Oovemment literature are : 



Farm. Buls. .54. 497 : Biolosical Survey Buls. 

 3. n. l.'i. l.i. 21, 2S. 24, .^0. 32. 34, 37, '39. 44 



Dept. Affri. Yr. Book 1S9.", 



Blackberry 



Anyone who is familiar with farming 

 conditions in the Eastern states knows 

 by experience that the blackberry is one 



of the most common and one of the most 

 tenacious of American native fruits. In 

 Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Ken- 

 tucky. Pennsylvania, and other states, 

 they spring up in abandoned fields and 

 are difficult to eradicate. 



The leading representative of this 

 group is Rubus nigrobaccus. 



All varieties change rapidly under cul- 

 tivation and are. therefore, being rapidly 

 improved. The blackberry thrives best 

 usually on a northern slope, on heavy 

 loamy soil, retentive of moisture. If the 

 soil is rich in nitrogenous foods it tends 

 to heavy wood growth, and but little 

 fruit; if, however, there is little humus 

 in the soil, it tends to fruit and less wood 

 growth. In this particular it follows the 

 law of most other fruits, for this is true 

 of peaches, pears, apples and plums, as 

 well as of berries. 



Propaffation 



Propagation is almost always by means 

 of sprouts or suckers that spring up from 

 the roots. These grow in great abun- 

 dance and when rot desired for propaga- 

 tion are a hindrance, causing considerable 

 work to keep them down. They also take 

 strength from the parent stock and pre- 

 vent the best development of the fruit. 

 If the finest fruit is desired these suckers 

 must be kept down: if suckers are desired 

 for the market, they injure the fruit just 

 the same; but the grower will decide 

 whether his profits come mostly from 

 fruits or plants and will give the prefer- 

 ence to that which seems most valuable. 



Medicinal Qualities 



Blackberries are esteemed for their 

 tendency to counteract bowel trouble, 

 chronic diarrhoea, and were formerly used 

 extensively for this purpose. 



Planting 



The setting of blackberries is not a dif- 

 ficult task. The first thing to do is to de- 

 termine whether they are to be set in 

 rows, or in squares, which some call the 

 check system. This question would prob- 

 ably be determined by the contour of the 

 land on which the orchard was to he 

 located. If the land is rough, it may be 

 found impracticable to use the check sys- 



