February i, 1893.] 



Garden and Forest. 



59 



come from a distance for their fruit, but even in that case they 

 are sure to eat something else belonging on the farm. Now, • 

 no one of the species mentioned, even when adult, feeds ex- 

 clusively on fruit, and the young get far less fruit than the old 

 birds. On an average, at least two-fifths of the food of old and 

 young consists of insects, even during June and July, and many 

 of these are decidedly harmful insects, so that certainly some 

 good is done by their destruction, and whatever the amount 

 may be, it should go to the credit of the birds as helping to 

 balance the account for fruit stolen from the same premises. 

 So long, therefore, as the amount of harm done is not very 

 great, and the amount of good is uncertain, a truck farmer or 

 market gardener might reasonably be asked to tolerate the 

 birds. On such a farm as has been instanced, they may be 

 looked upon as a class of laborers working for their board 

 and probably earning it, although, unfortunately, they insist on 

 selecting their own food, which is seldom done in an econom- 

 ical manner, and often in a way very annoying to their em- 

 ployer. If, on the other hand, we consider the effect of fruit-eat- 

 ing birds on a farm of similar size given entirely to small fruits, 

 including grapes, the conditions are somewhat different. The 

 losses are fully as great, and the compensation less. True, the 

 farm itself will offer few suitable locations for nests, and its 

 more central portions will suffer less from the inroads of birds 

 from neighboring groves and orchards ; but for this very 

 reason its edges will sustain more injury, and the return made 

 in the destruction of injurious insects will be made almost en- 

 tirely to the owner of the nesting-grounds instead of to the 

 fruit-grower. The marauders may do some good, incidentally, 

 to the owner of the fruit, but the bulk falls to his neighbors 

 who have less fruit and a greater variety of other crops, and 

 it does not seem just that he should support these birds — so 

 far, at least, as half their food goes — and get practically no good 

 in return. On the other hand, it may be fairly asked, whether 

 he has the right to kill them, even in defence of his own crops, 

 thus depriving his neighbors of the good they have been re- 

 ceiving. 



Such preliminary studies of the food of our native birds as 

 have been made thus far show it to be highly improbable that 

 any species ought to be exterminated altogether. It is abso- 

 lutely certain that our native birds, taken as a whole, do more 

 good than harm, and in the pi-esent state of our knowledge it 

 would be unwise to recommend the wholesale destruction of 

 any. It does not follow, however.that the good done to any 

 one farmer or fruit-grower will equal or exceed the harm done 

 himi, though this is probable in most cases where the acreage 

 is large and a fair variety of crops is grown. It should be 

 noted that, in the supposed cases cited above, no mention was 

 made of the other common birds of farm and garden which 

 do not eat fruit or grain to any appreciable extent. Among 

 these might be mentioned the warblers, chickadees, wrens, 

 song and chipping sparrows, swallows, cuckoos, flycatchers, 

 smaller woodpeckers and others, most of which are distinctly 

 beneficial whenever and wherever found. It also should be 

 borne in mind that the species mentioned as most addicted to 

 fruit-stealing are injurious only during three, or at most four, 

 months of the year, although all are present and perhaps 

 actively beneficial during at least one or two months, and 

 some, as the robin and cedar-bird, during the larger part of 

 the year. 



It is very clear, nevertheless, that fruit-growers are likely to 

 suffer more in proportion than other farmers from the attacks 

 of the birds, and it is but fair to consider the possible means 

 which can be taken to prevent, or at least to lessen, this loss as 

 much as possible. 



Shall we shoot the birds ? 



In my belief this should be one of the last resorts. From 

 what has been said already, it is clear that most birds are too 

 valuable to be killed ; but, aside from this, their shooting 

 would be both expensive and unlawful. The imported nui- 

 sance, the English sparrow, ought to be killed whenever it is 

 possible, but this can be done most effectively by other means 

 than shooting, particularly by poison in cold weather, and the 

 destruction of nest and eggs in the summer. Air-rifles and 

 light collecting guns might be used on English sparrows un- 

 der some circumstances, but even if the ammunition costs 

 nothing the time required makes the process expensive. 



As to other fruit-eaters, three classes of treatment may be 

 considered. 



1. The fruit may be protected by nets or similar devices, 

 which mechanically keep the birds from the fruit. This 

 method is expensive, but sure. 



2. The birds may be frightened away by the use of 

 such devices as are commonly called scarecrows, or by 

 the presence of boys, cats, or other animals. Scarecrows are 



inexpensive — but commonly also ineffectual. On a large scale 

 the employment of men or boys becomes expensive, unless 

 they are actual pickers — and often the most critical time is 

 when the fruit is beginning to ripen, and not ready to be 

 picked. 



3. Perhaps a counter-attraction may be given the birds — a 

 fruit which would attract and satisfy them, though worthless 

 or nearly so to the fruit-grower. 



Methods coming under the first head are too expensive, 

 generally, to be applied to any considerable area, the cost of 

 the nets being the most important item. It is probable, how- 

 ever, that a net with a very large mesh — large enough to let a 

 robin dirough easily — would be just as effectual as one with a 

 close mesh. Remembering the fact that crows are kept away 

 from corn-fields with more or less success by one or more 

 white strings stretched across and around the field, it seems 

 probable that if one set of these strings were put closer to- 

 gether, and another series stretched at right angles, the practi- 

 cal effect of a net would be gained, although the mesh might 

 be very large ; the larger size which would answer being de- 

 termined by experiment. By using a cheap white twine, and 

 stretching it between temporary stakes set about the edges of 

 the field, no doubt, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries 

 could be protected almost completely, and at a cost which 

 would be very moderate compared with the use of actual nets. 

 Whether the same method could be applied advantageously 

 to Cherry-trees would depend somewhat upon their size and 

 location, but in any case the meshes would need to be smaller 

 and the labor and expense of putting up poles for a frame- 

 work and stretching the twine would increase the cost mate- 

 rially. 



Under the head of scarecrows it may be well to consider 

 the actual enemies of wild birds as well as effigies of them, 

 which commonly do duty in berry patches and orchards. It 

 is not probable that the common cat can be utilized to any ex- 

 tent as a scarecrow, but it has been demonstrated beyond 

 question that a living hawk, confined only by a thong about 

 the foot and placed conspicuously, will prevent absolutely the 

 approach of birds over a considerable territory. Even a stuffed 

 hawk is perfectly effective for a day or two, and by shifting it 

 from one position to another, or by having several individuals 

 of different sizes and kinds, the protection of a large area can 

 be assured. This method also is somewhat expensive, but 

 the hawks need not be of the largest size nor mounted in the 

 highest style of the art, although good work will deceive the 

 birds longer than poor work. If the mounted specimens are 

 well cared for they should last several seasons. 



The possibility of providing a special supply of fruit for 

 birds, and thereb}'^ preventing their depredations on the more 

 valuable kinds, has been recommended many times by horti- 

 culturists as well as by ornithologists. The great trouble is to 

 find a fniit which is early enough to protect early cherries and 

 strawberries, and attractive enough at all times to compete in 

 the birds' favor with fruits more valuable to the grower. The 

 typical fruit of this kind should also be a profuse bearer, should 

 remain a long time in season, and be hardy enough to thrive 

 anywhere without much care. It is needless to say (hat, as 

 yet, such a fruit has not appeared, and, perhaps, is not likely to 

 be found, but fruits fulfilling part of these requisites are avail- 

 able, and by combining several of these and using a little fore- 

 sight in planting, much good can be accomplished. Probably 

 some form of the Juneberry woidd serve to divert many birds 

 from early fruits, and possibly some species of Mulberry would 

 keep up the attracfion for a week or two longer. The Wild 

 Cherry planted freely along road-sides and between fields 

 would save many thefts of grapes from neigliboring vineyards, 

 and the Elder and Viburnum would be useful, as well as or- 

 namental, if included more generally in hedges and shrub- 

 beries. 



Notes. 



It is said that a pure white Delphinium has been produced 

 by Messrs. Kelway & Son, of Langport Nurseries, Somerset. 



The amount of cider made in France during 1892 was the 

 largest since the year 1885, reaching a total of 340,679,835 

 gallons. 



We are advised that the seed firms of Messrs. C. H. Thomp- 

 son & Co., Parker & Wood and Joseph Breck&Sons, of Boston, 

 have been united under the name of Joseph Breck & Sons. 



Under the name of Pyrus angustifolia flore-pleno there is 

 figured, in a recent issue of the Gardeners' Chronicle, the 

 double-flowered American Crab, which appeared a few years 



