THE CANADIAN HCilTICDLTURIHT. 



183 



cliaractei', are very imposing objects ; 

 but the current taste certainly runs in 

 the direction of the single in preference 

 to the double varieties. 



^ii-iis. 



WIRE FENCES AND BIRDS. 



Sir : — It is certainly pleasing to the 

 eye to see straight, clean fences, such 

 as those constructed of barbed wii-e, in 

 comparison with the old style of snake 

 fence ; and a considerable saving of land 

 is made by its adoption. Another ad- 

 vantage is the prevention of lieavy snow 

 diifts, and perhaps other good points 

 might be claimed for the wire fence ; 

 but there is one dj-awback, and that is 

 a serious one — one that requires more 

 than a passing notice — viz. : the banish- 

 ment of our small insect destroying 

 birds. 



We find, year by year, slowly but 

 surely, the birds become scarce, particu- 

 larly in those localities where the wire 

 fence is most in use. The reason is 

 plain to be seen. Along the line of the 

 wire fence rubbish is seldom allowed to 

 accumulate, the coarse grass is kept cut 

 and no small bushes are allowed to 

 grow, consequently there is no harbour 

 or shelter for the small birds that live 

 principally on insects. The result is 

 the decrease of birds and the increase 

 of insects. 



In the old style rail fence all sorts of 

 rubbish would accumulate ; piles of 

 stones, rank grass, small bushes, liazel, 

 wild i-aspberry, wild currant, etc., 

 would find a lodgment, affording the 

 small birds shelter in rough weather, 

 and protection and security in raisin ij- 

 their young ; for our common small 

 bii'ds do not build their nests in tall 

 trees. 



It is not likely we will ever go back 

 to the old snake fence again ; but if we 



want to retain our friends the birds, 

 we must protect them, extend to them 

 the blessings of National Policy, as well 

 as to the manufacturers of barbed wire, 

 and protect the birds, who are unable 

 to protect themselves. 



The first thing to do is to enforce the 

 laiv proJiihiting the destruction of insect 

 destroying birds, and any and every 

 man or boy found shooting or destroy- 

 ing the birds to lock him up and teach 

 him better. Next, as it appears the 

 wire fence has come to stay, we should 

 protect the birds by planting trees or 

 hedges all around the farm, or at least 

 on the north and west sides, which will 

 encoui-age the birds to stay. The ti-ees 

 or hedges will grow, and not only afford 

 shelter for the birds, but form wind- 

 breaks, which are becoming so necessary 

 in some localities. The loss sustained 

 by the amount of land occupied by the 

 trees will be repaid by the benefits de- 

 rived in the shelter of crops from the 

 bleak and raking winds, and the reten- 

 tion of the birds, vhich are the true 

 friends of the farmer and of the fruit 



grower. 

 Mimico . 



KUSTIC." 



AN ENEMY OF THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 



In a recent i-eport from the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture Professor Riley 

 states that the screech owl has proved 

 useful in destroying the web worms 

 that defoliate so many trees in autumn, 

 and adds : " Perhaips the statement 

 may be of interest that this little owl 

 is getting much more common in the 

 vicinity of cities in which the English 

 sparrow has become numerous, and 

 that the imported birds will find in 

 this owl as bold an enemy as the 

 sparrow-hawk is to them in Europe ; 

 and even more dangerous, since its 

 attacks are made towards dusk — at a 

 time when the sparrow has retired for 

 the night and is not as wide awake for 

 ways and means to escape." 



