No. 2. 



Oi^poslte Opinions — Birds. 



65 



the southern readers of the Agriculturist, 

 may be induced to give the coftee-tree a 

 trial, and report the result. It would be a 

 very valuable advantage to our agricultural 

 productions for home consumption, and as 

 an article of export; the demand abroad is 

 almost unlimited. 



There are many articles of foreign pro- 

 duce which can without doubt, be profitably 

 cultivated in this country. We have every 

 variety of soil and climate, and there is no 

 reason why we should resort to other coun- 

 tries to obtain articles for the cultivation of 

 which nature has provided us with' abundant 

 resources. Many able articles have recently 

 appeared on the cultivation in this country, 

 of madder, sumach, indigo, &c. I hope the 

 subject may not be given up, but that every 

 possible effort will be made to increase our 

 agricultural wealth by the encouragement 

 and introduction of new products. 



S. B. Parsons. 



Commercial Garden and Nursery, Flush- 

 ing, L. I., lllh mo. 23rd, ]e43. 



Opposite Opinions— Birds. 



" Woodman, spare the tree — sportsman spare the 

 birds." 



The following sensible remarks are found in the 

 Gardener's Chronicle, and are as applicable here as in 

 the vicinity of London. There is no question at all 

 with us, that the war waged in some places against 

 these " tenants of the air," is quite an injudicious 

 one, and that although at particular seasons of the 

 year, some of them are a real annoyance to the farmer, 

 upon the whole they more than "earn their keep." 

 Nnttall, in his Ornithology, after enumerating the 

 many, and varied pleasures derived from their song 

 and theircompanionship, says, they "associate around 

 our tenements, and defend the various productions of 

 the earth on which we rely for subsistence, from the 

 depredations of myriads of insects, which but for 

 timely riddance by unnumbered birds, would be fol- 

 lowed by a general failure and famine." Public econo- 

 my and utility, as he believes, no less than humanity, 

 plead for the protection of the feathered race.— Ed 



The various, and in some instances, con- 

 tradictory statements of your correspond- 

 ents, must, in many minds, create a tend- 

 ency to scepticism ; that is to say, where 

 parties do not make practical observations 

 and judge for themselves. One states that 

 salt has produced him magnificent aspara-j 

 gus — another says that salt has destroyed 

 his plants. One advises carcasses as a ma- 

 nure for vine borders; another says they have 

 nearly destroyed his vines. One says that 

 for thirty years he has not sufi"ered from 

 turnip ^Y, owing to his steeping his seed in 

 oil, and powdering it with suljihur — another 

 says that he has tried it, and still the vermin 



have marched in military array over his . 

 field, perforating and consianing his crop. 

 One says persecute the rook and other birds 

 — another encourages them as your best 

 friends. As great a contrast frequently 

 arises as to the quality of fruits — one stating 

 a particular variety to be excellent — an- 

 other will not admit it to be second-rate. 

 How are we to reconcile such statements, 

 admitting, as we must, in respect of parties 

 with whom we are unacquainted, tliat each 

 is entitled to equal credit? In many in- 

 stances, no doubt, the old aphorism may be 

 applied — " Circumstances alter cases," as 

 with regard to salt and carrion manure ; a 

 skilful gardener, knowing the time, and 

 watching the result of his experiment, fot 

 lows up a perceptible improvement, and 

 counteracts the first appearance of a retro- 

 grade movement before the disaster becomes 

 irremediable. In similar cases, the rash or 

 inexperienced fail. With regard to the 

 turnip fly also, there may be some peculi- 

 arity of tillage. I have heard of a whole 

 field failing, except where a roller had cas- 

 ually been drawn — in some seasons, that the 

 plants are more liable to attack when the 

 ground is rolled. As to fruit, there can be 

 not the least doubt that soil and aspect, or 

 [climate, will produce a much greater differ- 

 ence than exists between the first and se- 

 cond class. But with regard to the rook 

 and birds generally, I think there ought to 

 jbe but one opinion, namely, that their use- 

 fulness very greatly exceeds any injury 

 Icommitted by them, either to the farm or 

 [garden. An instance is recorded upwards 

 of a century ago, I believe by Bradley, of 

 the inhabitants of a certain village destroy- 

 ing the whole race of birds in their locality, 

 by setting a price upon their heads; the 

 consequence of which was, that their entire 

 produce was attacked by insects and cater- 

 pillars innumerable the following year, and 

 they were glad to offer a similar or greater 

 reward to liave fresh colonies brought to 

 their assistance. Dr. Stanley also relates, 

 that a whole district in Germany, was 

 nearly deprived of its corn harvest by hav- 

 ing destroyed their rooks. I have myself 

 seen a field of Swedi^i turnips so infested 

 by grubs, that from three to ten were found 

 under nearly every root that was examined, 

 the turnips having the appearance of Maity 

 excrescences, being quite hollow within. An 

 immense fleck of rooks, accompanied by a 

 flock of starlings, covering more than acre, 

 alighted upon them, and so busy were they 

 that they would allow a person to go within 

 a few yards of them without flying up. 

 They remained there a whole afternoon, 

 and on examining the turnips afterwards, I 



