178 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICtTLTURAL SOCIETY. 



Dr. Harris in his work on Insects, in speaking of canker-worms 

 says: "But since onr forests, their natural food, and our birds, 

 their greatest enemies, have disappeared before the woodman's axe 

 and the sportsman's gun, Ave are left to our own ingenuity, perse- 

 verance, and united efforts, to contrive and carry into effect other 

 means of checking their ravages." 



Of the English sparrow, I can say nothing from experience. As 

 our place is somewhat retired these foreigners have never visited us, 

 and with my present convictions I do not regret their absence. 

 "Without doubt they were introduced from purely philanthropic 

 motives, but would it not be well for our government to establish a 

 wise and prudent commission to prevent such mistakes as the 

 importation of noxious weeds, the P^nglish sparrow, and the gypsy 

 moth? Of other birds I can speak from experience. Our house 

 and out-buildings are every year at the service of large flocks of 

 chimney, barn, and eave swallows ; the pewee and robin rear their 

 young with all confidence under the covings and brackets of our 

 house ; the bluebird looks every spring for her box in the apple 

 tree ; the oriole, the cat bird, and the thrush, all build in their own 

 chosen spot within easy call of our home, and the sparrows have 

 become so domesticated that they daily look for food Avithin a few 

 feet of our doors. As a result the tent-caterpillar is fast getting 

 to be a thing of the past on our place ; the canker-worm has nearly 

 disappeai'ed, and the cut-worm and the June-bug, formerlj' abun- 

 dant, are now seldom seen. An abundance of evergreens and 

 hedges about the place, while the}^ serve to beautify the landscape, 

 and form barriers against winds and cold, become a retreat for 

 birds in which to build and rear their j'oung, comparativeh^ safe 

 from the attacks of their enemies. Piles of brush, left in the pas- 

 tures and orchard, although presenting a slovenly appearance, are 

 the places generally chosen by the thrush, and often by the cat bird 

 and robin. One serious obstacle in discussing this subject as we 

 do today, is the prevailing, and, I fear, of growing, opinion that these 

 same birds do moi'e injury by eating fruit, than they do good in 

 destroying insects. I have met in a fruit growers' meeting, appar- 

 ently intelligent and observing men, who would declare that the 

 robin was a nuisance and a thief and deserved extermination. 1 am 

 aAvare that a flock of birds Avill often despoil the fruit on some 

 favorite earlj^ pear, cherry, or peach tree and that a few Delaware 

 grapes, currants, or raspberries Avill quickly disappear, but the 



