Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-06-18

lrUl. y. L. MOT8ili NhCSc HdiuC wiz
be familiar to lots of friends in Vermont,
lately read paper on " Birds before
the Montgomery Horticultural Society"
Ohio. from which we make the following
extracts. We agree in general with Prof.
Morgan, though we must take exceptions
to the crow. We kill him, not because he
pulls little corn, we can generally get
along with that, but because he is de-
strover of other birds. He takes more
birds nests in single season than the av-
erage bad boy. Indeed, that is his strong
point with Bro. Hoskins, he likes the crow
because he destroys so many robins nests,
ana the robin he hates because he eats
berries and cherries, is pretty and sings.
However much our conclusions may differ
we agree with the doctor on the premises,
viz, the crows wholesale destruction Of
the nests Of other lirds. He Ohe crow is
a robber, Il murderer, and an outlaw, so
far as we are concerned, and has Il bounty
set on his head:
Men complain Of the birds; the crows
and the black-birds pull up the corn, the
mocking-birds, cat-birdS, and robins eat
the berries, the woodpeckor pecks the APP
pies, and so on. This is bad, very bad
they destroy the fruits Of mans labor and
waste his substance sometimes in rio.ous
living. But could we understand the Ian
guage of birds, and not simply only their
music, and were we to listen, what tales
of Injustice, woe and sorrow might we not
hear. How the crow, for pulling up few
stalks of green corn in the spring, when
he is half starved, is shot down mercileSs
" all the year round. How the robins and
the cat-birds are abused and threatened be
cause they are mbued with a taste fol
GOOD things, and love berries rs well 4!
any human boy" What would be thu
statistics of nests destroyed and s,olcr
eggs, were they kept with the care 0
marriages and deaths? Think Of discov
ering the habitation of some ancient scien
tiic owl, containing IL museum OF stuffed
specimens of all races, colors and sizes 0
human beings.
Birds are not only great class in thu
animal kingdom, but so are insects, ant
upon this latter class the former is Target.
dependent. Many families of birds liv
wholly upon insects, and in fact upon in
vestigation it might appear to be matte
of establishment how birds in this cOuntr,
eat fruits and berries; this, however i
easily accounted for by the fact that TIL
season of fruits and berries is short. 1t i
plain to sec, then, that should we eNter
inmate all the birds, we should immedi
ately become prey to the whole class {
insects against which directly we have Il
vet been able to devise few means of dc
Tense.
Considering the amount Of berries tina
"A robin or Il cat-bird will eat they mus
destroy immense numbers OF insects an
grubs in the course of a single season
All the summer through the robin may
noticed feeding upon the ground; wit
head turned first to one side and then I
the other, he quickly perceiyes the spot {
some favorite grub; inserting his bill int
the ground and pryng it about after til
manner OF Il spade, he reaches and draw
forth the Dreaded cutworm, which work
more destruction to The corn than do II
crows. Nearly all the year round the re'
headed woodpecker is busy destroying II
Larvae of insects which infest the trees
the orchards and groves. How short
his season of fruits and berries; and con
pared with the good he does, how little
the harm. Men must pause and consid(
before they venture 10 kill of any bird.
You men that raise fruits and berrie
how much do you lose in the course of tn
wear by the depredations of birds? II
birds do not appear to cut the crop shor
when it is short it is from some otht
cause When the season is good there
abundance for all, both birds and me
There is such a thing as overproductio
and when fruits go to waste, or it COS
more to pick them than they bring
market, too much is produced. You nee
more birds in plentiful seasons. that tn
may make the crop pay.
| don't want the birds eXterminate
Their numbers are too few now; | won
that there were more of them. Were
restricted in my choice to one or the othe
birds or berries, would choose the bird
but can have both, and the berries ev,
in more abundance than the birds. IL
summer | had tree full of sweet che
ries; the birds liked my cherries bett
than those of my neighbors, while Xix
my neighbors' cherries better than I
own. paid twenty-five cents to one
my neighbors for five quarts of cherri
and let the birds have mine. | got sevt
ty-fve cents worth of satisfaction in s
ting by and watching the performances
the birds, and fifty cents worth of know
edge of the habits of the wax-wing,
bird rather difficult to approach. Clc
profit off my cherry tree, one dollar, a
didn't have to pick the cherries.
We need not be scared when our talk
sneered at as sentimental" There A;
worse epthets than this made use of
people when they fail to make the arr
ment. Not only uses immediate are to
regarded, but results far off and comp
Gated are to be looked for. Although "ii
sparrows are sold for two farthings, l
one of them is forgotten"