Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-15
Hon. Pitt w. HYDE. a member Of Il

ne eohe euo1 uy uroSrdpuic SURVEY o'A'''
to to that of Maine, should be made in Yer
o. mont. Capital from abroad was needed
ty to develop the water power of Vermont
IL and it could only be obtained by efforts Of
il. this kind, placing before the world re-
liable statement of our resources in this
a. respect, Farmers are much interested in
to this, for progress in manufactures gives
be the farmers market for their products al
b. home for all they can raise. The matter
Is, should be brought before the Legislature
a of the State, and strongly urged he
al thought it could be done with success.
of Mr.. Cole, an English gentleman, staying
g in Brandon, offered the suggestion that
Re Farmers Clubs would do we'll to keep
10 their rooms open constantly. ...- --.
10 Mr.. Prindle of Charlotte expressed the
e encouragement he felt at the spirit of
l. unity and the desire for cooperation ex-
70 pressed at this meeting. He had been
1t working alone at several horticultural ex-
s. periments, and felt encouraged always to
e meet others with similar tastes, who could
. afford him hints and suggestions. This
q was the way to improve.
n Rev. Mr.. Williams of Castleton, spoke
q of the advantages of keeping record in
Farmers Clubs and Societies of the more
o important practical experiences of it's
J. members.
Mr.. Sumner of Brandon, said that this
Is practiced in the Brandon Farmers
I Club. By experiments alone cau many
inherited prejudices among farmers be
dissipated. 1t has been his rule to do
different from his father in his agricultur-
al operations, not that he disrespected his
, father, but because that is the way to
learn whether his father was right. Mr..
Sumner went on at some length to detail
experiments made in this way, and the
valuable results that he obtained.
THURSDAY EVENING.
The first paper at this session was read
by Prof Geo. III. Perkins of the Uniyer-
sity of Vermont and s. A. c., on
BIRDS AS RELATED TO AGRICULTURE.
Prof. Perkins began by statement of
the geological position and character of
BIRDS Birds show more uniformity than
any other class of vertebrates. There are
no such aberrant forms as bats among
mammals. ALI birds have wings. THOUGH
| all do not fly. The movement of the fiy-
ing birds is very rapid. Hawks fy so
miles an hour, swallows and swifts 40 to
o0 miles, and can keep it up hours and
even days. The eyes of birds possess 6
great power of adaptation, seeing equally
well at long or short distances. The diff.
ferent orders and genera were briefly re. {
capitulated.
The Tdptores, or birds of prey, were first ,
spoken OF In relation to agriculture. All ,
the injurious, except owls, the larger of :
which destroy mice, and the smaller. g
moths. :
The scGnSc0TeS, or climbers, are useful. f
Woodpeckers seemed formed for the pro. ]
lection of our trees from insects. It is v
erroneous to call any of them "sap-suck- t
ers." They are after insects when peck. a
ing the bark. The trees most visited by 8,
them are the most thrifty. There are q,
seven or eight species of woedpeckers in
Vermont, and all are useful. The hairy Il
and downy woodpeckers are about or. n
ohards, and should be encouraged there. a,
Some of the woodpeokers eat corn and
come fruit, but their main food is insects Y
The accessories or perching birds, are sub Ell
ssct of contention as to their usefulness ca
he hlgnt-hawks destroy night-tIying ia
a The titmouse pulls off buds, but OF
onIy those containing wurms. The cn,c-l er
adee or black-capped titmouse search the in
park of trees for eggs of insects. In sum
ner they feed on grubs. The robins eat w
mail fruits but destroy worms to a vast 70
xtent, Tar exceeding in benefit the injury or
eosived from them. They are special ri;
nemies of the cut-worm, 80 destructive to or
'oung plants. The young robin cannot ii,
70 raised except by insect food. They tn
lie when fed even partially with bread an
nd fruit They will starve to death on an
light earth-worms a day. Nothing less
han forty-one per cent more than it's own re-
weight of worms daily will keep a Young
obin alive. This is true of thrushes and
II similar birds.
The cedar or cherry bird is also an in
ect eater, though fond of fruit, which of
hey eat only for a short time. ar
The boboliuks do much damage to rice bo
n the South, but destroy many insects wi
hat prey on the cotton. At the north no
hey do not touch grain, but eat insects oh
ntirely. -,
The cat-bird is great insect-eater. The te,
anne may be said of the blue bird, barn wi
nd bank swallows. Black-birds destroy SD,
rssshoppers in great numbers.
There are in Vermont 800 species of of
'p,uoP'erous ins=cts. moths, etc. Of these pri
Ach female lays 300 eggs. They thus ch,
'orease with immense rapidity, and the ers
.eat agents OF their destruction are the Ito
irds. But the lepidoptera are but de,
nall portion OF injurious insects Beetles TIL
rA9SnOnnaFG OF
a',Hoppei'' niee' etc., multiply In vast ma
umoers, and are only kept down to
y birds. Great losses, amounting 70 NJ,
lany millions of dollars, have followed sal
ne determination of birds in some marta M,
Earope, and no human power could this
:ay the ravages of the destructive insects fn,
hloh spread over the country. me
There are four species of blackbirds in spr
ermont. The crow blackbirds destroy Gle,
uch corn, but also many insects. The Ger
ows also do much damage TO corn. bnt Col
ey also eat many insects. They, how 30
er, destroy many young insect eating fuc
rds, and are therefore, on the whole, in mo,
rlous to the farmers. The blue-isy ia it's
so On enemy to the farmer in the same n
sy; also the Canada Jay. The purple wit
ch feeds on fruit buds. The butcher REQ,
I'd destroys beneficial buds. III ma,
The rasores, quails, patridges. 81, do trim
t little injury. not much good Most rule
the waders. (snipes, &c., are in the from
ne category. oni,
The argument in favor of birds from and
Sir beauty and melody has a place, but this
great reason for preserving them is wor
'ed on their utility. No.
'omo i,''ie discussion followed in re- ton
ID to the orchard woodpecker known as then
."sap'sucker," but noting definite was ers
cited. VIC
Albert Chapman, Egg, of Middleburv val,,
m read paper, entitled '" Mt
E NO MEASURE OF MERIT TN r,p,,, bree,
40. such
n this paper, Mr.. Chapman expressed Bree
opinion that if half the land of every loss
n In the State were sold, and the can't good
derived therefrom judiciously employ main
IN the remaining half, it wouId weld able.