[February, 1912. 



PLANT SANITATION. 



ADDRESS READ BEFORE THE 

 PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION OF 

 PASSARA, ON THE SUBJECT 

 OF -'BIRD LIFE AND ITS 

 EFFECT ON OUR INDUSTRIES." 



By E. Ernest Green, 

 Government Entomologist. 

 Gentlemen,— I have been asked to 

 address you, this morning, on the subject 

 of " Bird Lite and its Effect on our 

 Industries." This is a rather wide 

 subject— if taken literally. Buc I believe 

 that I shall meet your views by inter- 

 preting the word ' industries ' as limited 

 to the planting industries of Ceylon : 

 and, from the report of your previous 

 meeting, I gather that the question has 

 arisen more particularly with regard to 

 the presence or absence of Grevillea 

 trees on your estates. 



It is certain that the more trees you 

 have about the place, the larger will be 

 the number of birds that will frequent 

 the neighbourhood. It is only a few of 

 the smallest species of birds that can 

 find congenial cover in an area of low- 

 growing tea bushes, and even these 

 species prefer to nest in larger trees 

 where they are less liable to disturbance. 



But if there is any special objection to 

 the Grevillea tree, from the planting 

 point of view, there are other trees that 

 would serve the purpose of the birds 

 and of the planter at the same time. 

 The ' Dadap ' tree (for instance), while 

 affording grateful shelter to bird lite, 

 and providing a rich store of nitrogenous 

 material for the benefit of the tea, is not 

 liable to generate the root diseases 

 that occasionally spring from decaying 

 Grevillea stumps. If the Dadap is 

 unsuited to this elevation, there must 

 be various species of Accacia that could 

 take its place. 



In the ' Yearbook of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, 1909,' there 

 is a paper on " Plants useful to Attract 

 Birds and Protect Fruit," This paper 

 opens with the statement that "Birds 

 play a very important part in the 

 economy of nature, and by their des- 

 truction of insects lend material aid in 

 keeping the balance true. Both the 

 farmer and the orchardist are greatly 

 indebted to birds for the destruction 

 of insects and weed seed, and nowhere is 

 the nature and extent of this indebted- 

 ness more fully appreciated than in the 

 United States." Though the paper has 

 been compiled to meet the requirements 



of the Amerian Agriculturist and many 

 of the recommendations are impractic- 

 able in Ceylon, I may quote a few 

 extracts that are of more general 

 applicability :— 



" It should be borne in mind that 

 smoothly trimmed hedges and the stiff 

 trees of a formal garden are not nearly 

 so attractive to birds as untrained 

 bushes and tangled thickets." On the 

 ground that most insectivorous birds 

 refresh themselves with a certain 

 amount of fruit and are consequently 

 attracted by trees that produce edible 

 fruits and berries, the writer gives a 

 list of berry- bearing trees suitable for 

 cultivation in America. With the ex- 

 ception of the Mulberry tree, this list 

 would be of no use to us in Ceylon. But 

 there are many wild shrubs that might be 

 allowed to remain in ravines and waste 

 land to attract our local birds. Lantana 

 berries are much sought after by 

 bulbuls which are also very useful des- 

 troyeis of small insects. The Lantana 

 plant requires no encouragement and 

 may perhaps be considered a troublesome 

 weed. But we have another and equally 

 attractive shrub that is not open to 

 these objections. Its scientific name is 

 Debregeasia and it is known to the 

 Sinhalese as ' Gas-dul.' It flourishes 

 naturally in every ravine and may be 

 recognized by its narrow willow-shaped 

 leaves (greyish beneath) and the coral- 

 like orange berries that cluster thickly 

 along the stalks of the plant. 



It is impossible to estimate even ap- 

 proximately the benefits that we derive, 

 directly or indirectly, from the activities 

 of the familiar birds of the country. It 

 is only when — through gross ignorance 

 or mistaken ideas of economy— they have 

 been destroyed or driven away,' that 

 their services are properly appreciated. 

 Much attention has been drawn to this 

 subject, recently, in European countries. 

 Amongst other Societies, the Brent 

 Valley Bird Sanctury Committee has 

 been active in encouraging and protect- 

 ing birds on the borders of London. 

 This Society has devised various in- 

 genious nesting boxes which are attached 

 to the trees to attract tits, nutnatches 

 and other insectivorous birds. 



It is not only the purely insectivorous 

 birds that are useful to us. Many birds 

 prefer a mixed diet of fruit, seeds and 

 insects. Such might perhaps be consi- 

 dered doubtful friends to the agricul- 

 turist : but it is probable that they pay 

 well for their board and lodging by 

 their assistance in checking insect pests. 



