The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-05-27
Farmer Wilkes, Terror.

Farmer Wilkes cultivated the
homestead where his ancestors had
lived and died He had largo
orchard, but the fruit was poor, as
he thought nursing apple-trees
nothing more than boys play "a
mere waste of time.
But, the last few years. men from
distant cities had been around. in
Guirirg for choice apples; and they
had pail for them what farmer
Wilkes called "a trcmenius price
SO he turned his attention 10 his
orchard, removing the tough sward
and loosening the soil above the
roots, cleansing the bark of the
trunks, pruning, grating and set
ting out additional trees.
This morning he came into
breakfast rather excited, saying to
his wife, 'Nabby! the red-heaaed
woodpeckers are just running my
treest
In surprise and sorrow, Nabby
dropped the potatoes she was car
rying to the table. She had an,ic-
ipated much enjoyment and not
little profit from their prospective
orchard. How, jerry she quietly
asked.
The rascally things are boring
the trunks full of holes-cating tho
trees all up. I'll buy a gun, and
then CHARLES shall kill the whole
OF them.
Fortunately, Charles had liking
for the Natural Sciences. Natural
History had last occupied his mind.
Father he asked. may l have
charge of the trees?'
If you will destroy those birds,
Charles, you may. From the
ground up to the branches, the
trees arc full Of holes
these past two years, father, I
have noticed that the trees most
marked by the birds a, the thrift
iest. The holes do not injure the
tree; the object Of the bird is to
reach ana feed on the eggs Of in
sects deposited beneath the bark,
thus destroying myrisds Of insect
germs, which, if developed, would
ruin the trees. These woodpech-
ers are the very guardians of our
orchard, father. Besides de troy
ing the insect germs, in their CT
forts 10 reach the larvae, they re-
move the moss from the tree as
well as bore holes in its bark, and
the air is thus freely admitted to
the living fibres, whereby the health
of the tree is promoted. Must l
kill them, father?'
well, Charles, perhaps your
books have done some good, after
all I've said against them. Yes,
you may have the care Of the or
chard. What else do these farming
books tell you? l never thought
much of them
They tell us, father, that when
the birds pull up our grain, it is al
most always for the worms which
are eating at the root, and which
but for this cheek on their in
crease, would soon devour our
whole harvest. Whenever I have
examined the stalk which the bird
was about to pull up, have always
found in the seed at its base lit
tie worm
Thus, in Gods providence, the
instinct of the birds do work
which it is impossible for the far
mers to perform, as they can not
know which seeds the worms are
feeding on, so as to destroy them,
without killing the healthy stalks.
Many years ago, the New Eng
landers offered reward for the
destruction Of bird which had
committed great havoc among the
crops. But when, in this way, his
ravages were arrested, the entire
crop Of 81 lass was destroyed by the
worms, and the people were oblig-
ed to bring hay from abroad to feed
their cattle.
Equally fatal has been the res III.
when either by recklessness or
erroneous policy the birds have
been destroyed.