The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-04-01
Robins Indispensable to the Farmer.

The mischief which birds do is often of
daily occurrence, is open, palpable, and
not to be gainsaid. And yet these very
birds are often really our greatest benefac-
tors. Let Us take up first for our consid-
Grafton the Robin. Where will you find,
hereabouts, one more complained Of, more
generally denounced, than he? Is ne not,
by common consent, pronounced by most
of our fruit growers the pest of horticul-
turists? Does he not steal our cherries,
plumber our strawberries, strip our cur
rant bushes, pilfer our raspberries, help
himself to our choicest grapes, and, If we
have some rare Shepardia berries, will
not the glutton take the whole? And
does he not, some one else will add, at
tack and spoil our handsomest pears? In
reply to the last charge we cannot respond
afiirmatively. We do not believe it, and
if it were true, we should say to whoever
made this charge: My dear sir, it only
serves you right You should not leave
summer pears on the tree long enough TO
become 50 soft as to tempt bird to peck
at them Your fruit should have been
gathered when so hard that no bird could
modest it, and thus you would have saved
your pears and improved their quality !"
But we are getting off our track, and will
return to the Robin.
With the exception of the pear accuse
tien, which we believe to be bosh, we ad-
NIT the truth of all these charges-but
what then? What do they prove? Sim
ply that the worst traits in the character
of the Robin are those which, unfortu-
nately for his reputation, are the most APP
parent, and which are brought home to
the notice of all who have fruit to be
plundered, while his beneficial deeds es-
cape the general observation. The Robin
is eminently one Of those who delight in
doing good by stealth, but alas he is
very rarely put to the blush by finding it
fame. The world, as a general thing, is
but too prompt to recognize the mischief
he does, but knows little or nothing of
his good deeds, far oyerbalancing his
faults.
Fortunately for the reputation of the
Robin, careful and faithful friends have
looked into his record, and the result OF
their investigations proves him to be an
invaluable friend to the farmer, and de-
monstrate by indisputable evidence, that
his services are of an indispensable i'm
portance. Nearly eleven years since, the
very same gentleman who this last sum-
mer signalized his imperfect knowledge of
birds by protesting against the European
Sparrow's coming to Boston, because 1t
was not an insect-ea'er, at o meeting
of the Massachusetts, Horticultural So
ciety introduced motion in favor
of the presentation Of a petition to
the State Legislature, in the name of the
Society, praying for the repeal of all !egis-
lation for the protection of the Robin.
After an animated discussion, in which it
was shown that the Robin was not even
then without strong friends, the Society,
instead of adopting the motion, very wise
ly voted to look into the matter before
they thus committed themselves, and re-
ferrcd the whole subject of the habits OF
the Robin to select committee, who were
desired to make thorough investigation.
Fortunately at the head of this committee
was placed j. w. p. jerks, Esq, OF Mid
dlebOro, an ardent and Jealous friend OF
the bird. He entered upon his duties with
an alacrity and an interest, and completed
them with fidelity and thOroughness
that reflect upon him the highest credit.
The leisure hours of an entire year were
devoted by this gentleman TO careful and
minute investigation Of the subject COM
mitted to his charge. Day by day, and at
all hours of the day, he procured speci-
mems of the birds for the purpose oil care
fully examining the contents OF their seve-
raj stomachs, for evidences of the general
character of their food. Robins were thus
obtained by him, both from the villages
and from the more rural districts, apart
from gardens and orchards. Beginning
with the first week in March, 1858, these
examinations were continued, with more
or less frequency, until the same month OF
the succeeding year.
Combining ourselves here to such por
tons of the results as may have direct
bearing upon the points we seek TO es-
tablish, we find that Professor jerks has
demonstrated, among other things, that
during the whole OF March, April, and
May not particle of vegetable matter OF
any kind whatever could be found in the
food of the robins. Insects, in large guam
titles, varying greatly as to kind, condi,
ton, and development, were during all
these months their sole and exclusive
food. The larym of @ species OF ~ knowA