PAYING A MIDWINTER VISIT 



Photo by Wilbur F. Smith 



This shows a bird visitor attracted by the lump of suet fastened to the old pear tree. 

 A lump of suet set in some convenient place is perhaps the surest way of securing bird 

 visitors in midwinter, for it is a food supply they greatly appreciate. 



protected resort of such birds as stayed 

 with us. 



In the Year Book of the Department 

 of Agriculture for 1909 there is a most 

 interesting article on "Plants Useful to 

 Attract Birds and Protect Fruit," by W. 

 L. McAtee. In this there is a list, on 

 page 186, of the best trees and shrubs for 

 attracting birds, given in the order of 

 their attractiveness, as follows : Elders, 

 raspberries and blackberries, mulberries, 

 dogwood fruits, sumachs, wild cherries, 

 blueberries, wild grapes, pokeberries, Vir- 

 ginia creeper berries, bayberries, juniper 

 berries, service berries, holly berries, 

 strawberries, the fruits of viburnums, 

 hackberries, huckleberries, haws, spice- 

 bush berries, rose hips, sarsaparilla, sour 

 gum, gooseberries, currants, and snow- 

 berry. 



To the above list is added the follow- 

 ing supplementary list of some other 

 plants known to be attractive to birds, 



and to this the names of other species 

 doubtless might be added : Manzanita, 

 barberry, buffalo berry, silverberry, buck- 

 thorn, mountain ash, China berry, Cali- 

 fornia Christmas berry, pepper tree, mag- 

 nolia, nockaway, lote bush, and bluewood. 



With the above very comprehensive 

 lists to choose from, it is not a difficult 

 matter to make out a list of trees and 

 shrubs for almost any place, no matter 

 how small, that will supply its quota of 

 birds' food from early summer to the 

 following spring, while if the place is a 

 large one, or the problem at all difficult, 

 it may be the best policy, as well as in 

 the end the most economical, to consult 

 some competent landscape architect as to 

 the proper disposition of the proposed 

 plantations. What is worth doing at all 

 is always worth doing well. 



Besides the trees and shrubs in the 

 above lists, there are many herbaceous 

 plants whose seeds are attractive to birds. 



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