The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-06-03 00:00:00

HORTieVITruRE.

UTILITY OP SMALL BIHIN3.—I send you in • little box
what may amuse you. Here there has been, on the
part ef the farmers and cottagera great complaints
made of the mischief done by small birds to corn-fields
and gardens. In vain did some hold the argument that
these small rubbers did as much good in destroying
grubs and caterpillars as harm to wheat and black cur-
rants. For the last two years the township has not
only paid for all dead sparrows, but so mocha, dozen for
birds' eggs. lam afraid to tay how many thousand
dozens of eggs were taken and paid for; and, as I be-
lieve, mainly in consequence of this (aided, perhaps, by
the mild winter), we have this year such a plague of
caterpillars and grubs as I never remember. Since I
last wrote to you I have had three women constantly
employed picking over goosberry, apple, and currant
trem, and our destruction of caterpillars has been by
bushels. I felt so convinced that this plague was
partly owing to the last two years' destruction of birds,
that in my own grounds and in all the °everts I ordered
the nests not to be molested, I now enclose you the
bead of a sparrow shot thia morning in my garden.
This was done to test what food it did take to its nest. I
hope the head may reach you in the same state in which
it was picked up—namely, with three green caterpillars
and three daddy-longlegs in its beak. If one journey
from its nest could collect no many, it is easy to geese
how much may be dore by them to clear trees. My
trees from band-picking are now pretty clear ; but I am
quite sure it would have been done cheaper and better
by the birds had they been left alone. I cannot think
I am sending you much information, but one fact is
better than many theorimi.—Ars loaroasmus near Liver-
pool. [We give this brief communication the most
prominent position in our pages, because it relates to a
subject of far more importance than it is usually believed
to primes. The warfare carried on against small birds
is a proceeding found on the most self-injuring ignorance
that at present overshadows our fanners and gardeners.
A similar warfare has been carried on in France, and, the
same result has occurred there which our correspon-
dent records as now scourging the vicinity of Liverpool
—namely, • plague of caterpillars and grubs. So serious
has the plague become in France, that the Government
have interfered, and a strong arm has been outstretched
to save the small birds from destruction. We almost
regret that a similar power cannot be similarly exercised
on this side of the Channel. We have warned our
readers again and again that the= birds are far more
powerfully benefactors than they are injurera by being
thieves of seeds and fruits. They can be scared from
these at a small expense, even if old women are paid to
act as scaren ; whereas, if the birds are destroyed, no
outlay, however large, can rescue our crops from insect
marauders. The destroyer of small birds is one of the
most unmistakable illustrations of the old Raying, "He
is penny wise and pound foolish." It is preventing a
small loss and insuring the occurrence of a far greater.
Nor are the services of small birds restricted to the de-
struction of insects, for they are great consumers of the
seeds of weeds. As an evidence how far in advance of
us in a knowledge of these facts are our descendants on
the other side of the globe, we have a letter before us
detailing the successful importation into Australia of
goldfinches, hedge-sparrows, and other small birds,
They ware bought in this country, and sent by steamer
to Sydney, for the express purpose of consuming the
thistle seeds! We recorded some time since how a
Scotchman had sown some seeds of his national emblem
in Australia, and that it was overwhelming the land.
The public authoritiee have paid large sums to children
for gathering the seed-heads of the thirties; but though
this has brought in a vast tribute of beads, yet the
thistles are unconquered; so the Australian authorities
have allied themselves, like wise men, with the small
birds. The head of the sparrow sent to us by our cor-
respondent is now open our table, with the green cater-
pillars and daddy-longlegs, parent./ of root-injuring
grubs, in his mouth, and we wish every gardener and
every fanner could see it, for it is a striking though
silent rebuke to them all.--Journat of 'forting/lure.
THE WANT OF SMALL BINDB.—It is said that in the
Vale of Evesham a severe blight has fallen upon the
fruit-trees generally, and in particular places has
destroyed all chance of crops. In Bengeworth, and on
the eastern and exposed sides of the town the greater
injury has been done, and the cherries and damson
plums seem to suffer the worst attack/. In some places
the trees are quite shrivelled up, and Bootees and
withering, as though • blest from a hot furnace had
swept across them, and the severity of the blight has
gone in belts of various widths aeross some of the plan-
tations. The common green catimpillar is the insect
working so destructively. In the more favoured locali-
ties there is still a fair average crop in a growing and
vigorous state. The potatoe and vegetable crops gene-
rally are looking well.

TIM/LIPID STRUGGLE WITE A WILD BOAIL—A large
wild boar wu killed at Ognea (Aisne) a few days back,
after an exciting strugvle between it and a man who
attacked it. On the animal being first discovered after
crouing the River Oise a number of men armed with
pitchforks and other implen enta, collected together,
and following it rapidly, at length surrounded it in a
field of rye. A sportaman named Dorville then
arrived with his gun and fired several times, bet the
balls glanced off from the boar's hide without injuring
R. Several persons had by this time been hurt: one
man, rafter striking the animal a blow on the head
with • hammer, having received • serious wound in the
leg front it. tusk. At last • shepherd named Frenoy,
a man of great strength, seised the boar by the ears,
while his companion, kept striking it over the head
with their clubs and forks. A terrible atruggle then
ensued; the shepherd and the beast rolling over each
ether five him..; the former, however, did not lose big
hold, and at the end of • quarter of en hoar the
animal was despatched by the others, Frenoy not
having received any senous injury. The animal
weighed 3001 b.