The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1864-07-01

But as in your sorrow you mourn him,
You feel that your loss is his gain,
For bark with the heavenly choir
Is mingled dulcot new strain.
Ono moro harp is attuned to glad praise,
One moro song swels the song Of the
blest,
IT'S the harp and voice of our horo--
In his manhood he's gono to his rest.
For the JefIersopian Democrat.
Birds on the Farm,
That are more or less resident all he near
and hc'r Influence upon Agricviiure.
PIcIpAE; Woodpcckers.
There are seven species of this much.
abused, though very interesting and valuable
family, found within tho limits of this Coun
ty. Two of these tho rcd beaded and the
yellow-boliod Woodpcckor, are moro or
less migratory in their habits; though mum.
bers frequently romain through the winter.
The other five species nro permanent resi-
dents. They are, the hairy and the downy
Woodpecker, usually called "Sapsuckers.
tho black Woodcock tho red bellied. and
tho yelow.winged Woodpecker. While
not ono of these species is as abundant with
US as the interests of agriculture demand,
they would be in few years, if tho foolish
practice of destroying these birds, which
community, in disregard OF its own best in.
terosts, tboughtlessly permits, were aban'
doned. Should this practice ho continued
or adequate protection be denied them, the
farmer may rest assured. that the tilno ia
not far distant when no will learn. to his
very great regret, that "the way of trans.
grcssors ia hard"
This family of birds feed more or loss
upon the eggs, larrde, chrysalids, and ma.
ture insects Of various tribes, but chiefly
upon those of the several families of wood.
Jorers, that make such havoc among our
fruit and forest trees, and would eventually,
mako any place where their depredations
were unchecked, as treeloss as the desert OF
Sahara. These insects are among the most
destructive Of any with which tho farmer
has to contend. AS soon as the egg, which
the Jortr deposits in tho bark Is hatchod
| the work of destruction commences, and Il
is pushed ceaselcssly onward, for longe,
or shorter period, till tho insect passes into
tho chrysalis state. On hatchlng, the ldrrat
Immediately cat thoir way down through
the bark to tho wood. When that is reached
| they gnaw out at first, burrows of various
sizes and in different directions, between the
wood and bark and subsequently, when
their size and strength has become sufficient
into the solid wood itself.
Most of the other insect tribes, as Fal
approaches. pass in succession, ono aftol
another, into state of repose, aud remain
dormant through the winter; hence th
migratory birds, failing from this cause, il
their usual supply of food, pass off ant
spend the winter at tho South. Not 81
with great majority of the er.Fibe-
Thcir avages continue undated to mucl
later period. and many of them are more
or less active throughout the entire winter
OF course. these insects, spending as the
do, most of their time iuslde of the tree
would receive comparatively, no chec
whatever from any ordinary bird ; nethe
could have any for a continuous period 9
about SIX months, from any kind of migrr
tory bird, because these would be abser
during that time, on their southern sojourr
But in the birds of this famiiy-and of III
family oniy-we find a good and suficier
remedy against these depredato.s-one o,
/. actly adopted to meet their case in ever
= particular. -
o Five of the seven species are permanor
y residents with US, and make war on tbes
borers at all seasons of the year-winter o
we'll as summer. The whole family hav
feet so formed that thoy can easily an
quickly, with their aid alone, examine o,
cry part of troo where borer can hide
chisel.shaped bills, that rapidly open wa
through bark and wood, down TO its burro
at point where unerrng instinct says
y u lies concealed; and long barbed tongu
$, to thrust into the opening made, and drt
10 the intruder out. Can we well resist Il
= conclusion, that this family of birds we
expressly designed, in the economy of n
ture, to be an effectual check to the raw
ges of the borer ? We know they wou
" most assurodly, fully accomplish it and sa
e, our trees, If we would cease destroyil
. them, and give them adequate protection.
These birds are, however, valuable to Il
farmer for other reasons, than as che,
: to the borers. Are your premises trouble
with ants Then encourage the visits
the galden-winged Woodpecker, and y,
will very soon have toe satisfaction of Sc
?. ing their numbers gradually diminisbip
y and ere long, your anthiHs measurab
al k.a.lal L.