Birds 
Check 
Rodent 
and 
Insect 
Plagues 
Garden Pests and Remedies 
When William N. Craig spoke before the New York Florist's 
Club recently, he made the statement that if the Federal 
Government would give more encouragement to the propagation 
and conservation of bird life, this action would have a more 
beneficial effect on plant life than the, in many cases, fruitless 
attempts to stamp out insect pests through quarantine regula- 
tion, (or legislation). 
Now comes a Bulletin from the Ohio Experiment Station on 
"Some Ohio Birds," which read: 
"The increase of rodents, insects and other injurious life 
would be a natural consequence following the reduction of their 
natural enemies, (i. e. the birds). 
"Plagues of rodents have generally followed a reduction in 
the number of rapacious birds. Nevada suffered a plague during 
1907-1908 which resulted in great loss to ranchmen. The plague 
subsided only when the ranchmen stopped destroying hawks, 
crows, ravens and gulls that flocked to the infested region. 
"With the exception of the English sparrow, practically all 
other species are beneficial to the farmer, according to entomolo- 
gists; and in some cases the English sparrows are developing 
an appetite for insects and weed seeds, but they still drive away 
native birds by destroying eggs, young and nesting places. 
"However, if our birds were better cared for and protected 
so that they would be plentiful on the face of the earth instead 
of comparatively scarce as they are now in all too many sections, 
no one need have the slightest doubt but that our gardens and 
fields would suffer far less from rodents and insect plagues than 
is now the case." Florists Exchange. 
Dangers When my garden was laid out I was anxious to have light 
op but very strong curved arches across my grass walk. For these 
Galvanized we used galvanized iron pipe — sunk in concrete foundations and 
AA^ire or bent to give just the right arch. To this were wired four inch 
Pipes wide-braided galvanized wire fencing and when Clematis and 
Roses were tied up I was enchanted, for practically no support 
was visible and I had just the effect I wanted. But alas, each 
winter, despite covering of burlap or cornstalks or anything and 
everything my imaginative friends could suggest — the most 
hardy vines were winter-killed and we reluctantly decided it 
was the bitter cold of the galvanized iron that worked our ruin. 
Lately I have read an article in Gardening Illustrated which 
confirms our decision and from which I quote the following: 
"I found where the young shoots of Peach trees came into 
contact with galvanized wire they suffered seriously. I experi- 
mented during frost and found this wire much colder than iron 
wire. I have gradually replaced it with what is called annealed 
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