The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-01-19
Wayne sboro Items.

The dissemination of knowledge for the
batterment of mankind, being one pI ovince
of the newspaper. We direct your readers
attention to consideration of the English
sparrow.
According to the best Information OBJ
tainahle, the English sparrow was first in
troduced ilt) this country in 1850. They
did not succeed, and another importation
was made in 1862 The latter is said TO
have spread over New York and New
Jersey. It was not, however, till about
1870 that they were largely distributed
throughout the country. Since which
time they have oyerrun thirty-three states
and two territories, Several colonies also
exist in Two other States and three terri
tories. Its fecundity is amazing.
In the latitude of New y ork and south
ward it matches, AS rule, five or six
brOOdS III a season, with from four TO six
young III a brood. Assuming the average
annual product of d pair to De twenty-four
young, OF which halt are females and half
males, and assuming further, for the sake
of computation, that all live, together with
their offspring, il will be seen that in ten
years the progeny of single pair would
which the sparrows spread without the
aid of man is peculiar. They first invade
the large cities, then the smaller cities and
towns, then the villages and hamlets and
Hnn oa for ipo Il iotr M
The martins are the only birds able to
hold their own against the sparroWs. Even
these they sometimes combine against AMI
drive them out. Year by Year is the song
and chirp of our comrnon birds, such as
the robin, cat-bird, blue bird wren, song
sparrow, yellow bird, etc, becoming less
and less. Thus by driving away and de.
Stroying these birds our fields. lawns, and
gardens are deprived of their protecting
care. In addition the sparrow directly
attacks the peach. pear. plum, cherry, APP
pie, apricot, citrrant ana grape. They
also eat lettuce, peas, beets, radishes. cab
bages and all the cereals. Being house
bid they use the cornices, cutters and
eve troughs as convenient places for nest
building and amusement. The English
Sparrow is a curse of such virulence that
it ought 10 be Systematically attacked and
destroyed before it becomes necessary to
depete the public treasury for The purpose,
as has been done in other countries. BY
concerted action, ana by taking advantage
of its gregariouS habits, much good may
| be accomplished with little or no expendi
| ture of money" The county supervisors
| City and town councils should look into
| the matter: and at least devise some
means by which their destruction may be
encouraged.
| All who can should procure the Aricul-
Report for 1886, and read for themselves
| what the Ornithologist says, from whose
| report we have quoted.
The wheat fields present a fresh ard
green appearance since the snow has dis
appeared. Considerable blowing has been
dole, and the prospects are that large
acreage of corn will be planted. Each re
turning season witnesses an outgoing of
some of our hest laborers, SO that more
an1 more the use Of machinery becomes
paramount. a NUN Der of sulky or riding
ploWs were introduced here last fall
Where they were used intelligentIy they
proved beneficial addition TO the farmers
stock of implements. 1t is al essential
| these days that prospective farmers ac-
quire at least the rudiments OF mechanics.
The more mechanical skill they have. the
better will they be fitted to become sue
cessful farmers THOMAS.