PRACTICAL BOOK OF GARDEN ARCHITECTURE 



friending of birds are assuming as much importance 

 as the abstention from slaughter. 



When the first census of birds was taken a few 

 years ago by the Director of the New York Botanical 

 Garden, figures and facts were shown that proved 

 appalling to farmers and market gardeners and 

 fruit growers; facts that should encourage every 

 owner of a garden, interested in turning its prac- 

 tical and ornamental features to good account, in the 

 propagation of birds. In this recent bird census it 

 was shown that during the past fifteen years there 

 has been a decrease of forty-six per cent, in the 

 number of birds, with the prophecy that the per- 

 centage loss will grow as our forests are depleted 

 and our ordinary operations of forestry and agricul- 

 ture fail to augment the numbers of our non-migrat- 

 ing birds. 



The protecting of natural nesting places, the 

 building of winter feeding houses and provision for 

 drinking places during f reezijng winter weather, and 

 for bathing and drinking places during the summer, 

 are the best means for increasing the number of birds 

 about our homes and gardens. 



Quaint food bells hung in trees and supported 

 from the eaves of garden houses form an attractive 

 feature of garden decoration. The self-feeders of 

 our poultry houses are utilized in novel ways to 



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