244 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



neighbours; such as some unusual warbler. Just let every- 

 thing grow up naturally, and, if necessary, plant vines or 

 briars, and have a fine old tangle of everything that will 

 grow. 



Neatness Overdone. The fashion of cutting down shrub- 

 bery and of general trimming and cleaning up to secure 

 open spaces has become quite common. It is considered a 

 mark of neatness and thrift to cut off shrubbery and weeds 

 along roads or drives. Every dead or hollow limb of a 

 tree has to be removed. These, however, are the worst 

 things that could be done from the standpoint of attracting 

 birds. While a certain amount of cleaning up may be de- 

 sirable as a concession to neatness, the more that natural 

 conditions can be approximated the more birds there will 

 be. Why should a bare roadside be considered more artistic 

 than the wealth of Nature's planting? Dead limbs entice 

 woodpeckers to build, and natural decayed hoUows attract 

 and shelter various birds. 



Shelter Woods. One very prominent part of the Von 

 Berlepsch plan is the proper planting and arrangement of 

 vegetation of the various types to make natural nesting- 

 sites for the birds. One of his pet schemes is that of 

 "shelter wood" for birds, based upon his observations of 

 primitive conditions favourable to bird life in Africa and 

 America. As it takes about ten years to develop his full 

 plan of planting and pruning, modifications and suggestions 

 from it will be more popularly used than the whole scheme 

 in its entirety. In general, the idea is to plant a copse of 

 thorn and other bushes to form a jungle impenetrable to 

 enemies of birds, with occasional trees for partial shade. 

 Details are fully described in the Hiesemann book. 



Whorls by Pruning. In conjunction with this method, 

 the shrubbery is for several seasons cut back, causing new 



