31 



foliage and fruitage of one apple-tree. In thirty days the foliage 

 of thirty apple-trees could have been saved, or 194,400 canker- 

 worms destroyed. This does not include what the old birds them- 

 selves would have eaten. 



In these observations the influence of insect parasites and pre- 

 daceous insects has not been entirely ignored. Hymenopterous 

 parasites were not seen to be numerous, and as it was a year 

 when canker-worms were on the increase, it is not probable that 

 these parasites would have been a prime force in reducing the 

 numbers of the canker-worms had the birds not been present. 

 Even had they been numerous they would have had little effect in 

 checking the ravages of the canker-worm during the present year, 

 as their interest is identical with that of the canker-worm, and 

 they remain in its body until it has finished feeding, allowing it to 

 defoliate the trees before completing their deadly work upon it. 



We do not know to what extent such parasites are devoured by 

 birds. This we could not ascertain without shooting the birds, 

 which would have defeated our main object. No parasites of the tent 

 caterpillar or canker-worm were found in the stomachs of the few 

 birds which were examined. It is hardly safe to draw conclusions 

 from observations so limited in their scope, but we may infer from 

 what was observed that the egg-eating birds are of the greatest 

 value to the farmer, as they feed almost entirely on injurious 

 insects and their eggs, and are present all winter when other birds 

 are absent. The summer birds which attack the larvaa are valuable 

 also if they can be so protected and fostered as to become sufficiently 

 numerous to do the work required. It is evident also that a diver- 

 sity of plants which encourages diversified insect life, and assures 

 an abundance of fruits and seeds, as an attraction to birds will 

 insure their presence. In this connection I wish particularly to 

 note the fact that the mulberry-trees, which ripen their berries in 

 June, proved to be a protection to the cultivated cherries, as the 

 fruit-eating birds seemed to prefer them to the cherries, perhaps 

 because they ripen somewhat earlier. 



I believe it would be wise for the farmer to plant rows of these 

 trees near his orchard, and it is possible that the early June berry 

 or shad berry {Amelanchier canadensis) might also be useful in 

 this respect. It is a handsome shrub or tree, flowering early in 

 the season, and would be attractive at a time when other trees and 

 shrubs are not in bloom. 



At the present time, July 23, 1895, the trees in the orchard 

 appear to be in good condition. They have not suffered from the 

 slight pruning of their foliage which was effected by the few cater- 

 pillars and canker-worms which survived. The fruit is well set, 



