CHAPTER XXX 

 ATTRACTING BIRDS 



The gardener and the orchardist should always be interested in 

 attracting birds which destroy insects. It is estimated that the loss 

 to agriculture due to insects is about three billion dollars annually 

 in this country alone. Birds will aid materially in keeping insects 

 in control. The gardener or fruit grower who makes a special effort 

 to attract birds will find his efforts abundantly rewarded. 



The man with a cherry orchard is apt to think that birds do 

 more harm than good. The robin, for example, that destroys 

 many insects will also eat cherries and some other fruits. The 

 damage, compared with the benefit, is only slight; allow the birds 

 to take a little compensation for the good they do. Frequently the 

 fruit-eating birds are in need of water. They often bite fruit merely 

 for a little juice, because there is no water supply available to them. 



There are a number of ways of attracting birds and making 

 them feel at home on your grounds. These will be discussed in 

 this chapter. 



Fruit-Bearing Shrubs. — Grow shrubs and trees that bear seeds 

 and fruits which birds love. Elderberry, blackberry, Japanese 

 barberry, black haw, thornapple (hawthorn), wild cherries, mul- 

 berry, wild grapes and even the low buckbush all bear fruits which 

 will aid in making the birds friendly on your place. Some of these 

 keep their fruit on during the winter and will help feed our winter 

 friends while they are hunting for egg clusters and pupae of some of 

 the worst forms of insects. Let these trees, shrubs and vines be 

 used for ornamenting the home grounds, and they will aid materi- 

 ally in protecting your main fruit plantation from attacks of birds 

 themselves. Best of all this will keep the birds near your home, 

 and if they make their homes near by they are certain to destroy 

 millions of insects, particularly during the nesting season. They 

 like to feed their young chiefly upon insect life. 



Building Nests. — A popular way of attracting birds is to build 

 bird boxes and other forms of houses in which they may nest. 

 Ingenious devices have been constructed and popularly illustrated 

 in bulletins, insect books, and many periodicals. They are some- 

 times made of gourds hollowed out for the purpose. Tin cans 

 laid on the side and fastened to a post may attract some friendly 

 birds. Have a perch in front for the parent birds to rest upon. 

 Wooden boxes may be so constructed as to be very attractive and 

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