The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-05-28

satisfactory to them as the most elegant
or1 costly ornamental houses and no one
need he prevented by the fear of expense
from furnishing dwelling places, rent free,
IN these interesting tenants. With a few
simple tools and box or two which any
grocer will give you, bird-house may be
made of almost any size or shape desired
Should you wish it highly ornamental,
nothing is better than to cover it with a
wild grapevine cut in pieces of the right
length and nailed on. Such a bird-house
costs little or nothing save the time reauir-
ed to make it and this slight expense will
be amply repaid by the satisfaction of do
ing good deed.
''Thete are many simple contrivances
which may be prepared and put up in five
minutes, and will serve the birds as well as
anything else. At the opening Of the
present season we put up four tin cans,
such as are used for canning tomatoes, hav-
ing filed a small hole in the lower end to
prevent the collection of water. Three of
| the four we're Immediately occupied with
| blue birds. One pair laid FIVE eggs, four
of which Matched, and the young grew to
maturity. The other two pairs each had
two broods, four eggs to each brood, and
hatched; but three of the young died be-
fore growing up. Seventeen young blue
birds and their parents six in number
three insect-eating birds -were thus in
duced to make their homes in our orchard,
the parent birds for about months, and
the young birds say about months. Ger
tainly, at very low estimate, each bird
would average 20 insects a day; for the
food Of these birds consist entirely Of in
sects. At this rate the old birds would
have destroyed during their stay here 49,
600 insects, and the young 3O,60O-which
gives total of $4,000 insects destroyed
from our own land and our neighbor' S
trees and it did not take us half an hour
to prepare and put up these simple accom-
modations. Are not these facts eloquent
Then how interesting to watch the house
2 keeping arrangements of these beautiful
little neighbors to hear their welcome
song when winter seemed still with us; t.
: hear them debate the situation, and finally
decide in favor Of our apple-tree; to see
them carry up grasses and cotton and
, feathers, and weaving them together in q
bed of down for the protection of theil
early laid eggs to watch their loye max
!. ing and all their gentle affectionate way
, towards each other; their jealousy of in
eggs during the period of incubation the
: final joy when the young break the she'll
: and are born to the light; and their unrir
: ing devotion in obtaining choice bits OF in
sect-food for the nourishment of their of
spring Truly, here is Beauty at our door
yard and Poetry has taken up her abode il
). our appletree.
% Purple martins, and other members 0
the swallow tribe, will readily occupy boxe
/ put up for their use. Wrens, too, are in
! teresting friends, and are easily induced
= settle with us. We know of a case wher
: a pair Of bluebirds found happy home i
y an old beaver hat which had blown up an,
p lodged in an apple-tree. A good bird
house may be made Of medium size
flower pvt, with the hole somewhat er
larged and the top covered with a bOarC
> viii not every one who has dozen rod
;, of land make bird house Of some kinC
/ and thus help to restore the proper pre-
! portions Of the teathercd and insect ra
- ces p