May, 1920 
Slower (Brower 
mi 
Our Birds. 
[ If ritten expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
The Cardinal Grosbeak, or Southern Redbird. 
WILI.IAM WATSON WOOLLEN. 
By 
MRS. WM. CRAWFORD. 
The very interesting bird, concern- 
ing which Mr. Fryer writes, in the 
March issue, is without doubt the 
Cardinal Grosbeak, scientifically known 
as Cardinalis cardinalis. The bill of 
the adult male Cardinal is of a brilliant 
coralline color, very thick and power- 
ful for breaking hard grain and seeds ; 
chin, front and lores black ; head is 
ornamented with a high, pointed crest 
which can be erected or flattened at 
the pleasure of the bird ; iris of eye 
dark hazel ; general color of the body 
a cardinal or brilliant red, darkest on 
the back, rump and tail. The adult 
female is not so large as the male. 
Her color above is light olive with a 
yellowish tinge on the head, and 
brownish yellow on the sides; the top 
of the crest, the wings and tail are 
nearly as red as those of the male ; 
the chin, front and lores are light ash ; 
breast and lower parts a reddish drab ; 
bill, eyes and legs like those of the 
male ; crest not so long. 
The Cardinal is not a migrant. In 
this regard its history is unique and in- 
teresting. Originally it was a bird of 
the south. But gradually they have ex- 
tended their range until now they are 
found in Iowa, Indiana, Southern New 
York and casually in Maine, Ontario, 
Southern Michigan and Minnesota and 
West to Kansas and Texas. Mr. Wells 
W. Cooke, the most eminent authority 
on bird migration, says that when the 
Cardinal has established itself in a 
certain locality that it will not depart 
from there further than ten miles dur- 
ing its life. 
The Cardinal is a very useful bird 
and my favorite of all the birds. This 
morning (March 4th) before I had 
arisen from my bed I heard from the 
tree-top in the side yard the clear 
whistle of my Cardinal that has been 
with me for many, many years. 
“ How oft our trust, most deep and true. 
Clings to some redbird's winter strain. 
Who knew unknowing why he knew, 
The long lost Spring would come again." 
William Watson Woollen. 
The March number of The Flower 
Grower has arrived and among the 
many interesting notes is one from 
Willis E. Fryer regarding a red bird. 
This is doubtless the celebrated South- 
ern Redbird or Cardinal Grosbeak. 
Reed says : 
“ Noble in carriage, beautiful of plumage, 
amiable in disposition and excellent singers, 
are some of the qualifications of these large 
billed birds. They are Southern birds, rarely 
seen in Northern U. S. unless in cages, for 
large numbers of them are trapped for this 
purpose, a practice that is being stopped as 
rapidly as possible by enforcing the laws 
which protect them. They are hardy birds, 
often passing the winter in the northern 
part of their range when the ground is 
covered with snow. They frequent gardens, 
plantations and open woods, where they 
glean their food of seeds, berries, fruit and 
insects. 
Song— A loud, clear and lively warble ; 
call, a low chip. 
Nest — A frail structure of twigs, in thick- 
ets or bushes. 
Eggs — Greenish blue with reddish brown 
spots. 
Range — Resident and breeding from the 
Gulf to New York and Iowa.” 
Mr. Fryer’s family is very fortunate 
to have a pair of Cardinals winter 
with them. 
“The Song of The Cardinal” by 
Gene Stratton-Porter is her finest pro- 
duction and well worth reading: 
The female is described by Chap- 
man thus : 
“ Throat and region about the base of the 
bill, grayish black, crest, wings and tail a 
dull red, upper parts brownish ash ; under 
parts buffy ocraceous, lighter on the breast 
and sometimes tinged with red.” 
The ones I have seen take on a green- 
ish tinge in the winter. The “green” 
bird at Mantorville is the female no 
doubt. 
As the head of a family, the Cardinal 
is exemplary ; he is very attentive to 
the wants of his lovely iridescent mate; 
sings to her by the hour when nesting 
and is always on guard to protect her 
from danger. He is untiring in feed- 
ing the young and takes them out to 
get acquainted with the world while 
the female is sitting the second time. 
We had a pair in this locality in the 
winter of 1915-16. The last day of the 
year they paid us a visit ; made a 
breakfast on seeds and berries, flew into 
an apple tree near the window, dis- 
played their beautiful plumage, whis- 
tled “good cheer! good cheer!” and 
were gone like a flash from the dying 
year. 
A great sorrow had been ours during 
that year and the visit of the cheery 
red birds gave us courage to face the 
new year. 
In this latitude it is as much a priv- 
ilege to hear the song of the Cardinal 
as it is to attend grande opera. I con- 
sider it an event in my life. 
In the summer of 1918 I visited my 
sister on a farm. We were on the 
porch knitting, for our boys were in 
France, when she suddenly lifted her 
finger and said, “The Cardinal !” From 
the woods near the house came such a 
burst of melody, such joyousness of 
life and its promises that we sat there 
spellbound and forgot for a time what 
was in progress overseas. 
What a joy and delight and privilege 
it must be to have a pair make their 
home on the place. 
We have many birds of interest. 
They like our flowers and the Bluejay 
often follows the new arrival (for he 
is a rascal) and by following him, we 
sometimes find a rare specimen he is 
trying to drive away. 
69 
In April and May I carry a copy of 
“ Reed’s Bird Guide ; Land Birds East 
of the Rockies,” in my'pocket, while 
on my desk is a copy of Birds of East- 
ern North America by Frank M. Chap- 
man. The dates of arrival and de- 
parture of migratory birds on page 15 
has been a great help and pleasure 
and few birds ever miss their dates. 
Last year with a late spring all were 
on time but the Wren. 
Birds and flowers go together. En- 
joy the birds and furnish them with 
food and water. They will repay you 
many times. Watch the Orioles build 
and compare the behavior of the male 
with that of the Cardinal ; talk to the 
Robin that follows you around for the 
angle worms you turn up in planting 
your flowers ; take a look at the Indigo 
Bunting ; follow a Scarlet Tanager 
until you can almost touch him ; see 
the flock of Yellow Warblers eat the 
seeds from the hardy Coreopsis morn- 
ing and evening; hear thesowgof the 
Cat-bird and forget his cat call, for he 
is our Northern mocking bird and his 
song is a delight ; listen to the song of 
the Brown Thrasher as he perches on 
the topmost twig of the shade tree at 
twilight and you will forget your 
troubles and 
" The cares that infest the day 
Shall fold their tents like the Arabs 
And as silently steal away.” 
Mrs. Wm. Crawford. 
Fragrant Hardy Lilies. 
[ Written expressly for The Flower Grower. ] 
Considering the ease with which they 
are grown, and the gratifying results 
obtained, few hardy plants so well re- 
pay the flower lover as the fragrant 
Lilium Auratum, Lilium Rubrum and 
Lilium Album. 
Perhaps the most satisfactory of these 
is the Lilium Rubrum. Practically all 
of the bulbs of this variety are imported 
from Japan, but of late years, owing to 
conditions incidental to the war, the 
number of bulbs reaching the United 
States has been much below normal. 
These bulbs may be planted in spring 
or late in the fall, in loose, well drained 
soil in which has been added a little 
bone meal. Hardy lilies seem to thrive 
best when planted in front of low shrub- 
bery or among perennials which shield 
their roots from the direct rays of the 
sun. They should be planted about five 
inches deep, and if the bulbs are dusted 
with powdered sulphur they will more 
readily resist the attacks of worms or 
fungi. 
The Lilium Rubrum usually starts to 
bloom early in July, and as the buds do 
not open simultaneously, the blooming 
period extends over three to four weeks. 
One bulb will sometimes produce twelve 
of the large crimson-spotted blossoms, 
which fill the garden with their delight- 
ful fragrance. 
H. S. Tillotson. 
Although frost was out of the ground 
early this spring, planting has been de- 
layed by cold and disagreeable weather, 
but we have a right to expect a mild 
season from now on. 
