60 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA, 



Mr. R. G. Morris, of Georgetown, Quitman County, Ga., writes: 



I do not think it injures garden fruits or vegetables. I have had a very good gar- 

 den this year, and the Sparrows stay about it nearly all the time. (September 28, 

 1886. Present oue year.) 



Mr. A. F. Hofer, of McGregor, Clayton County, Iowa, writes: 



It never injures fruits. I have seen it [at Dubuque f ] rearing its young broods on 

 pear trees with the nests surrounded by the finest ripe fruit, but they never touched 

 the pears. (October 11, 1886.) 



Hon. Robert B. Roosevelt, of New York City, writes: 



The robin takes every cherry our few trees produce at my place [on Long Island], 

 but the Sparrow has never been known to steal a single one. (August 8, 1886.) 



Mr. Thomas Chalmers, of Holyoke, Hampden County, Mass., writes: 



I have not known it t9 injure fruit or vegetables. One robin and one Baltimore 

 oriole will destroy more cherries and green peas in a day than the whole Sparrow 

 creation in an eternity. (March 6, 1884. Present about fifteen years.) 



Mr. L. H. Glover, of Cassopolis, Cass County, Mich., writes : 



It does not inj are fruits or veget ables. It is thought by some that our immense 

 crop of fruit is due to its presence. (October 13, 1886. Present four or five years.) 



Perhaps a half dozen equally favorable reports have been received, 

 and they will be found scattered through the testimony on this subject. 

 There have also been received quite a number of reports favorable in 

 the main, but not so unqualified in their support of the Sparrow, and 

 of which the followiDg are fair examples: 



From G. W. Warwick, of Smithville, Lee County, Ga. : 



No well-sustained facts have shown it to be injurious to fruits or vegetables. I 

 have watched it for the past year, and have a favorable opinion of it. It is not so 

 bad on garden seed as the brown sparrow, and does little or no injury to strawber- 

 ries. (September 25, 18S6. Present about five years.) 



From Henry C. Hallowell, Sandy Spring, Montgomery County, Md. : 



It has not injured fruit here, so far as observed. We can certainly say we have 

 never had a greater abundance of cherries, currants, gooseberries, pears, etc., than 

 since the Sparrow came, and we have not missed the fruit which he has taken. 

 (July 7, 1883, and August 30, 1884. Present three or four years.) 



From William Rotch Wister, Germantown, Pa. : 



I have not observed it to feed upon grapes or other fruit to an extent worthy of 

 notice. (March, J 886.) It eats a little fruit, but not a small fraction of the amount 

 eaten by robins, grackles, and other birds. (November 30, 1886. Present twenty 

 years or more.) 



From W. H. Ragan, Greencastle, Putnam County, Ind. : 



They may possibly injure fruits and vegetables. They are accused of damaging 

 th6 blossoms of legumes, but having carefully observed, I am unable to say that they 

 do. I have never detected them eating berries, but have in eating dry peas and other 

 6eeds. (September 28, 1886. Present about fourteen years.) 



INJURY TO GARDEN VEGETABLES. 



It will be convenient to consider the injuries to vegetables under two 

 heads: (a) Injury to garden plants themselves, from time of sprouting 

 until maturity j (b) Injury to garden seeds. 



