The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-08-21
AGRICULTURAL.
VIVA, the Bird. no far ,ne Fnrmer

On Thursday last, while at work near
wheat field, my attention was called to the
TACT that some of the wheat had been picked
from the heads in certain parts of the field.
AS my neighbor seemed to think that the
mischief was done by yellow birds, procured
gun and killed one of the supposed Offend
ers. Although interrupted while taking his
breakfast, we found in his stomach only
three grains of wheat, and by actual count
three hundred and fifty weevils.-Rrdt
Home.
Some two years ago, person brought me
turtle dove to preserve. "Why did you
shoot it ?" I asked. "Because it, along with
Others, was found eating some fresh sown
peas" was the answer. opened its crop to
see if such was the case, but instead of peas
L found In it over 1000 seeds of what l am
told are seeds of weeds, principally dock. l
took them to large retailer of seeds here,
but could lind none in his shop to which
they correspondent. L could say much in
confirmation of the usefulness of our wild
birds, but l will reserve any more remarks
on the subject for another time.-LOnd0n
Lire Stock Journal.
One day last season, as the barley in my
fields was rlpening the blackbirds began to
gather about it, and my farmer began to an
athematlze them as thieves and robbers, feed
ing upon what they did not sow. 'Why,
they come" said he, sin clouds from Nan
shon, and all about u.s." Notwithstanding,
good than harm, and that they were well
come to their share. The harvest began,
and as the mowers reached the middle of the
held they found the stalks of the grain very
much stripped and cut up by the army worm.
when the barley was down, they commenced
to march out of the field in compact stream
through the barway into the next one, and
mo ola hats I<,h 1aolxb rI,
after. They bounced upon them and de-
voured them by thousands, very materially
lessening their numbers. The worms were
so numerous that they could not destroy
them all, but they materially lessened them
and their power of mischief. All honor,
then, to the blackbirds, which are usually
counted mischevous, and are destroyed by
farmers like vermin.-Bost0n Advertiser.
A friend of mine, an animal preserver,
lived at Southwell, when a gardener used to
bring him in daily number of thrushes.
bringing me in so many thrushes % "Why,"
said the gardener, 'tney are eating all my
strawberries" 81 don't believe it," said my
friend;"I will come in and see." So in he
went accordingly, and found the gardener,
with gun in hand, ready to shoot blackbird
that had just dropped in among the straw
berries. "There," said the gardener, "you
see, don't you, what he is doing;;" and suit
sng the action to The word raised his gun to
shoot. "Stop," SAID my friend, ''let us see
IT it is as you say;' when presently the bird
rose up with something in its mouth and
flew over the wall into the adjoining grounds.
"Now," said my friend, 'slet us go and see
what he has got" They went, and found
thu. bird breaking snaips shell. "There,"
said my friend, syou see it is the snails that
eat your strawberries, and not the brds;' as
nf,rl ov,,ss
proved. Need l say he killed no more
thrushes on that account. The fact was, the
summer being dry, the snails harbored there,
the thrnshes found them, and were taking
them as food for their young ones.-LeUi
Lee, in London Liue Stock Journal
The swallow, swift and nighthawk are the
guardians of the atmosphere. They check
the increase of insects that otherwise would
overload it. Woodpeckers, creepers and
chickadees are the guardians of the trunks of
trees. Warblers and fycatchers protect the
foliage. Biackbirds, crows, thrushes and
larks protect fthe surface of the soil. Snipe
and woodcock protect the soil under the sur
face. Each tribe has its respective duties to
perform in the economy of nature, and it is
an undoubted fact that if birds were all swept
Off the face of the earth man could not live
upon it, vegetation would wither and die,
insects would become SO numerous hat no
living being could Withstand their attacks.
The wholesale destruction occasioned by
grasshoppers which have devastated the West
Is to great extent, perhaps, caused by the
thinning out of the birds, such as grouse,
prairie hens, etc., which feed upon them. The
great and inestimable service done to the
farmer, gardener, and fioris. by the birds is
only being known by sad experience. Spare
the birds and save the fruit; the little corn
and fruit taken by them is more than COM
pensated by the quantities of noxious insects
they destroy. The long-persecuted crow has
been found, by actual experience, to do more
good by the quantities of grubs and insects
he deVours than the harm he does in all the
grains of corn he pulls up. He, after all, is
rather friend than an enemy to the farmer.
st. John IN. b. Telegraph.