Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-05-04
VALUE OF BIRDS.

VALUE OF BIRDS.
The author of Ten Acres Enough" tes
titles to the great value of birds on the
| farm and in the garden. The following
chapter ought to be read carefully, and
its suggestions should be duly impressed
upon the minds of the boys, many Of
whom thoughtlessly and inhumanly wage
war OF determination against the farmer 6
best friends, the feathered songsters.
Zone morning in September, hearing
shots fred repeatedly at the further end
of my grounds, and proceeding thither TO
ascertain the cause, / discovered three
great. overgrown boobies, with guns in
their hands. tramping down my strawber-
ries, and shooting blue-birds and robbins.
On inquiring where they belonged, they
answered in the next township. | sug-
gested to them that | thought their own
township was quite large enough TO keep
its own loafeTs, without sending them to
depredate on me, warned them never TO
show themselves on my premises again,
and then drove them out. This happen
ed TO be the only occasion on which was
invaded by any of the worthless, loafng
tribe of gunners, who roam over some
neighborhoods, engaged in the manly oc-
cupation of killing tomtits and catbirds.
For all such my aversion was as decided
as my partiality for the birds was strong.
One of the little amusements INDUCED
in Immediately on taking possession of
my farm, was to put up at least twenty
little rough contrivances about the prem
ises, in which the birds might build.
Knowing their value as destroyers of in
lak al -
and thus, around the dwelling house, in
the garden-trees, and upon the sides of
the barn, as well as in other places which
promised TO be popular, ! placed boxes,
calabashes, and squashes for them to oc-
cupy.- The wrens and bluebirds took to
them with gratifying readiness, built, and
reared their families. But observed that
the wren quickly took possession ofevery
one in which the hole was Just large
enough to admit himself, and too small to
allow the bluebird TO enter, while in
those large enough 10 admit bluebird no
wren would build This was because the
bluebird has a standing spite against the
wrens, which leads him to enter the nests
of the latter, whenever possible, and de-
stroy their eggs. Almost any number of
wrens may thus be attracted around the
house and garden, where they act as vigi-
LIANT destroyers of insects.
These interesting creatures soon hatch
ed out large broods of young, TO provide
food for which they were necessarily on
the wing. They became surprisingly tame
and familiar, those especially which were
nearest the house, and in trees beneath
which the family were constantly passing.
We watched their movements through
the season with increasing interest. No
cat was permitted to approach their nests,
no tree on which family was domiciied
was ever Jared or shaken and the young
children, instead of regarding them as
game to be frightened of, or hunted,
caught, and killed, were educated to ad-
mire and love them. Indeed, so careful
ly did we observe their looks and motions
that many times | felt almost sure that /
could recognize and identify the tenants
of particular boxes. They ranged over
the whole extent of my ten acres, clear
ing the bushes and vegetables of insects
and worms; while the garden, in which
they sang and chatted from daybreak
until sunset, was kept entirely clear Of
the destroyers. / encountered them at
the furtherest extremity of my domain,
peering under the peach leaves, fitting
from one tomato vine to another, almost
as tame IS those at home. They must
have known me and felt safe from harm.
am persuaded that l recognized them.
Yet it was at this class of useful birds that
the boobies calling themselves sportsmen
were aiming their weapons, when ! rout-
ed them from the premises and forbid the
murderous foray.
To- .-f II, for
mer's greatest pests. But high, thorough
farming is potent destroyer. 1t is claim
ed by English farmers to be sure one
When the average produce OF wheat In
England was only twenty bushels per acre,
the raYages of the insect tribe were far
more general and destructive than they
have been since the average has risen to
forty bushels per acre. Why may not the
cultivation OF domestic birds like these,
that nestle round the house and garden,
where insects mostly congregate, be con-
sidered an important feature in any sys-
tenn of thorough farming?
Beside the wrens and bluebirds, the rob-
ins, built under the eaYes of the wood
shed, and became exceedingly tame. The
more social swallow took possession of ev-
cry convenient nesting place about the
barn, while troops of little sparrows came
confdingly to the kitchen door to pick up
the crumbs of bread which the children
scattered over the pavement as soon as
they discovered that these innocent little
creatures were fond of them. Thus my
premises became sort of open aviary, in
which a multitude of birds were cultiya-
ted with assiduous care, and where they |
shall be even more assiduously domestica- |
ted as long as continue to be lord of the |
manor. / pity the men who can look on
these things, who can listen TO the song
of wrens, the long, inspiring carol of the
robin on the tree-top, as the setting sun |
gilds its utmost extremities, listening to
these vocal evidences of animal comfort /
and enjoyment, without feeling any aug
mentation OF his own pleasure, and that
the lonesome blank which sometimes |
hangs round rural residence is thus
gratefully filed.
One morning, hearing a great clamor
and turmoil in thicket In g garden, |
where a nest of orioles had been filed |
with young birds, cautiously approached
to discover the cause. A dozen orioles |
were lowering about in great excitement,
and for some time it was impossible to