Daily globe., 1883-08-24

of the expense thereof, and state whether
one-half of the cost thereof is to be paid
into the City Treasury before the con-
tract is let.
Third. Can real estate to be assessed
for said improvement, be found benefited
to the extent of damages, costs and ex-
penses necessary to be incurred thereby?
Fourth. Is such improvement asked for
upon the petition or application of the
owners of majority of the property to be
assessed for such improvement?
Fifth. Send the Council plan or pro-
file of said improvement as required by
law, if you report in favor of the same.
Sixth. Send the Council proper order
directing the work to be done.
Yeas-Ald. Dowlan, O'Connor, Robert,
Fischer, johnson, Van Slyke, Starkey, st.
Peter, Mr.. President
Approved Aug. %. 1888.
Adjourned.
A. ALLEN, President of Council
THos. A. PRENDERGAsT, City Clerk.
The Food of Birds.
The practical utility of birds as agents
for the destruction OF noNous insects can
hardly be overestimated. But their agency,
by the great majority of farmers, is gener-
ally overlooked or considered too lightly.
If such would only study the habits of
birds and insects they would discover the
important part which each plays in the
economy of nature; and history itself
proves that any interference with their re-
lations to each other is sure to be followed
with disastrous results. Nature, if left
to herself, establishes a wholesome balance
mong her creatures; that is, she produces
no more of one species than shall be kept
in check by another. If there is an insect
which feeds upon certain plant there is
also bird which destroys the insect and
an animal which devours the bird, and SO
on up the scale, each curbing the undue in
crease of the next inferior creature. It
is when man interferes with the working
of this law that results are sure to follow
which are disastrous. Take for instance
the silkworm, which feeds upon the foliage
of the mulberry tree and spins the cocoon
which in its manufacture furnishes profit
able employment to many men, women
and children, and brings in large revenues
to the country. Insects we must thank for
honey, the sweetest of sweets; the air we
breathe and the water we drink are kept
pure and wholesome by the agency of
myriads of little creatures which draw
sustenance from the i'm purities of the ele-
ments. A study into the lives and purposes
of insects convinces the student that it
would not be good policy to destroy them
| entirely, even if we had the power; but it
is well to keep them in check if possible
In regard to the fertility of birds and in
| seets, the majority of birds have but one
brood of young in the course of the year;
few have two or three. In the case of
| the smaller insect eating birds, the number
/ of eggs to brood is on an average not
more than five. Some of the larger birds,
as the various Gallinae, lay from five or
six to twenty eggs to a brood. On the
other hand, the reproductive energy of in
sects is truly marvellous. A single pair of
grain weevils will produce 5000 young
between April and August. The common
varieties of aphides, or plant lice, which
are found on almost all plants, are pro-
duced in spring from eggs laid the season
before, and through the summer only fe-
males are developed. At the last of the
season males and females both appear,
and eggs are laid for the brood which
matches early in the spring. Reaumer
says that one individual in one season may
| become the progenitor of 100000 600
| The silkworm moth produces about 500
eggs; the great goat moth about 1 600, and
so on down to the white ants, one of which
| deposits not less than sixty eggs minute
giving $500 in an hour. With this won
derful power of PRODUCTION the question
arises what shall prevent them from over
running the country? Various causes
operate to check undue increase of insects
chief OF which is the appetite and instinct
which a wise Providence has given to birds
If the number of eggs produced by insects
is astonishing, the number destroyed by q
single bird is no less so. A woodcock will
eat Its OWE weight of insects in a single
night; pair of sparrows will destroy
1850 caterpillars in week. brood OF
partridges will nearly exterminate the
denizen5 of an ant-hill in a couple of days
All birds of those that live mostly on insects
ar5 constantly employed i'll destroying in
sects and their eggs. Birds are more
common prey to mankind than insects. anC
as a matter of course insects are on the in.
crease and birds on the decrease, and this
will continue to be the case, unless birds
are protected, until eventually insects will
destroy every thing that grows. Herewith
we give the names of few birds that de
stroy insects: Humming birds, swifts
whippoorwills. night hawks, fycatchers
| GnFuSQ6S, Oiu0 OITOS. WOOQ 10HHOltorE, III
mice, nuthatches, creepers, wrens, warblers
swallows, chatterers, starIings. orioles
, biackbirds, crows, herons, snipes, etc
! Of all the birds that are useful, perhaps
. the crow and the robin have been the mos
j discussed by farmers some contendine
that each does more harm than good, anC
, vice versa. The fact Is that the crow doe
, really more harm in destroying the eggs O.
! insect eating birds than he does directly
: TO the farmer. There is no rose withou
its thorn. We must take the bitter will
> the sweet. But let US bear in mind that i
, is TO our advantage to protect the BIRDS
, San Francisco Chronicle.
An acre Of sweet corn for feeding t,
swine will afford a good return in porl
{ fully equal in money value to any us
7 to which the corn could have been applied
They are very fond of the stalks as we'll a
= the ears of corn, and will eat all up clean
7 If given to hogs fed upon corn principally
it serves to give them relish for thei
r other food, improves their healthfulnes
and increases their flesh. When hogs hav
been kept at pasture on clover sweet cor
:, may be used to follow the clover, as the
will eat anouOh of II to raka than rroI