The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1862-08-16
Agricultural.
Utility of Small Birds.

| Cth1ty VI SHidI BIFuS.
az have taken the liberty to send
in little box what may amuse you.-
Here there have been, on the part of
the farmers and cottagcrs, great COM
plants made of the mischief done BY
small birds to corn fields and gardens
In vain did some hold the argument that
these small robbers did as much good III
destroying grubs and ca erpilars as
harm to wheat and black currants. For
the last two years the township has not
only paid for all dead sparrows, but SO
much dozen for all birds eggs. | am
afraid to say how many thousand dozen
of eggs were taken and paid for; and,
as believe, mainly in consequence of
this (alded, perhaps, by the mild Win.
teri we have this year such a plague of
caterpillars and grubs as never remem-
Der. Since l last wrote to you, l have
had three women constantly employed
picking over gooseberry, apple and cur
rant trees, and our destruction of cater
pillars has been by bushels. | 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 coverts ordered the nests not
to be molestcd. | now enclose you the
head of a sparrow shot this morning
IN my garden. This was done to test
what food it did take to its nest. |
hope the head may reach you in the
same state in which it was picked up,
viz {: with three green Gu crpillars and
three daddy longlcgs in its beak. If
one journey from its nest could collect
so many, it is easy to guess how much
may be done by them to clear trecs.--
My trees from Manipulating are now
pretty clear; but l am quite sure it
would have been done cheaper and bet
ter by the birds bad they been left
alone. | cannot think | am sending
you many theories. lguoramus,
near Liverpool.
We give this communication the
most prominent position in our pages,
because it rela es TO subject of far
more Importance than it is usually
believed to possess. The warfare
carried on against small birds is a pro-
ceeding founded on the most clt-inur-
ing ignorance that at present ovcrsha-
dows our farmers and gardeners. A
similar warfare has been carried on in
France, and the same result has oc-
CURED there which our correspondent
records as now scourging the vicinity of
OVERWHELMINGLY, plague Of cater
pillars and grubs. So serious has the
plague become in France that tie Gov
eminent has intcrfcrcd and strong arm
Is outs;rc;ch to save the small birds
from destruction. We almost regret a
similar power cannot be similarly exer-
cised on this side Of the channel. We
have warned our readers again and again
that these birds are far more powerful
benefactors than they are injurers by
being thieves of seeds and fruits. They
can be scared from these at small
expense, even if old women are paid to
act as scarers whereas, if the birds are
destroyed, no outlay, however large,
can rescue our crops from insect maura-
dcrs. The destroyer of small birds is
one of the most unmistalable illustra-
tons of the old saying, "Hc is penny
wise and pound foolish" 1t is prevent.
ing small loss, and iusurihg the occur
renee of far greater. Nor are the SER
vices of small birds restricted to the
destruction of insects, for they are great
consumers of the seed of weeds. As an
evidence how far in advance of US in a
knowledge of these facts are our dcscen-
dants on the other side of the globe, we
have letter before US detailing the
successful importation into Australia of
goldGnches, hedgc-sparrows, and other
small birds. They were 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 Sco.chman had sown
some seeds of his national emblem in
Australia, and that it was Overwhelming
the land. The public authorities have
paid large sums to children for gather
ing the sced-heads of the thistlcs
but though this has brought in vast
tribute of heads, yet the thistles are
unconquered; so the Australian author
tiles have allied themselves, like wise
men, with the small birds. The head of
the sparrow sen. to US by our corrcspon-
dent is now upon our table, with the
green caterpillars and daddy-longlegs,
parents of roo,-injuring grubs, in his
mouth, and we wish every farmer and
every gardener could see it, for it is a
striking, though silent rebuke to them
all. l--Journal Of horticulture, London
RECEIPT TO MAKE CIDER WINE.-J.
II. Keck, of Macon county, Illinois,
foa +ba follou,;. ,,,..LoI r.