Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-20
August Is. 1897.

Correspondence Of The Evening Star
NEAR CESTERvrLLE.
QUEEN ANNE COUNTY, Nd,
August Is, 1892.
~ ~, y I.pp sparrow y i h. IS become . n
SAk %k suchs nuisance in Amer
= 4NSTN lea, interfering seri-
M I'M cT ously with our agricul-
SI~EfElM tural interests, depre-
-41tSSX], dating upon our gardens
|AUI&9ASi. in many instances, de-
,eMzNxEHJI stroying flowers, orna-
NV .N& mental shrubs and
fEfF/ y vines, that it is proper
and advisable to fall
upon some plan to e1terminate the pest. In
telligent agriculturists and horticulturists have
expressed the greatest establishment that our
people have allowed such destructive and
worthless birds to be introduced into our coun-
try. They not only destroy buds and blossoms
on our fruit trees. but lessen our wheat crop to
great extent. Even when 1t is in a milky
state they can be seen in large iocks alighting
on the heads Of wheat, picking out the finest
grains and bending over the stem, in many in
stances breaking the stalk Of the growing crops
all through the fields. 1t is lamentable that
these sparrow enthusiasts could not be induced
to listen to the warnings of more intelligent and
tar-seeing citizens. Being grain eaters by ma
ture, they naturally enough take to our wheat
fields. They may be seen in our peach or
chards picking at the blossoms and entirely de-
stroying the embryo fruit. Washingtonian
lost two crops of pears and could not account
or it until he had watched these birds and no
ticed they were picking the pear buds when
they were beginning to swell. taking out the
entire flower portion Of the bud. They make
m ahorr
raspberries and our small fruits. They have
even been seen attacking SO large
q tree as the elm, picking at
the buds in early spring and in
juring the trees. In California, where grape
culture is an industry of great importance to
her people. this increasing pest has caused
great apprehension and will entail serious loss
unless checked and destroyed. When the fruit
trees are blooming they may be seen depreda-
ting upon the plum, cherry and ounce and il
they are let alone it will be useless to try to
raise anything.
RAvENoUs SEED EATERS.
These miserable birds are also seed eaters and
like variety Of food. and the gardener, as well
as the farmer, must feel the losses they oc-
casion. This spring my strawberry bed was
full Of healthy blossoms and their fastidious ap-
petites were directed to the destruction of the
fruit, SO that they spare nothing. but are con-
tinually on the watch to satate their desire for
a change Of food.
These cunning birds have been known to de-
stroy an entire crop Of apples pecking holes in
them when mellow, causing them to drop off
or decay on the trees, invariably selecting the
finest fruit
do not know of any other bird that shows a
fondness for tomatoes. but the palate Of the
English sparrow is peculiar and nothing seems
to be safe where 1t abounds. Cabbage and let
tuce, too, have suffered materially from the
denrodatiOnQ of ipc cipu
THE BANE OF RICE PLANTERS.
In our rice growing states they may be found
feeding with the ricebirds and blackbirds, and
are more troublesome, because they are tame
and cannot be scared of. in some cases causing
gether. Some contend that the sparrow is of
benefit in eating the seed Of noxious weeds and
destroying insects, but close observation shows
that he is more destructive than advantageous.
We would all be pleased to have him bug our
potato crop and make himself useful rather
than destructive, but his appetite is too
dainty for potato bugs and he saves the far
mer nothing, but destroys everything in his
reach. Last summer raised, az supposed a
large crop Of sunfowers, intending to feed the
seed to my poultry in winter. To my great
disappointment found these wretched birds
had eaten them entirely up, and had not even
the opportunity of saving seed for planting
this last spring.
FILTHY IN HABIT.
The filthy habits Of this bird are most annoy
ing. Where they build their nests and in their
roosting quarters they are most obnoxious.
My house is covered with English ivy and thew
still cling to their English tastes and flock to it
winter and summer to nestle among its shelter
ing leaves, and their nests may be seen all
through this beautiful clinging vine which
fear will eventually be destroyed by their con-
tinually alighting in its luxuriant branches.
At st. Stephens Church. Rhode Island. there
were over 800 sparrow eggs taken from the
beautiful ivy that covers its walls and the
sexton Of st. Johns Church took out two cart
loads Of nests from that building at one time.
They are not only pests to the farmer and gar
dener, but frequents the thoroughfares Of our
cities, and here they increase very rapidly
where they multiply unmolested. They are
not confined to any latitude and flourish in any
climate: Winter weather does not annoy them
in the least rs they often survive the most
severe winters. They may be seen following
carriage roads when grain is not accessible
and the fruit, birds and flowers have disap-
peared, determined to be industrious and self
dependent and make their living as best they
can. not in the least discouraged by the absence
of more inviting food.
This American folly was first introduced here
in 1850 at Brooklyn, where they were
watched and cared for most tenderly, and SUBJ
scriptions were taken up to defray the expense
Of importing them.
In 1867 colony was sent to Texas and this
unfortunate craze seemed to take possession of
the people of the whole country and the rapid
ity with which they have overspread our land il
wonderful and much to be lamented.
PROLIFIC AND HARDY.
They raise six broods during the year, often
laying their eggs in the months Of December
and January, and the young ones have been
known to leave their nests as early as March
The birds Matched early in the spring pair and
raise young ones the ensuing summer season.
and this accounts for the rapidity with which
they increase. They are not only prolific but a
hardy bird and cunning in the extreme, and
live to be five or six years old, and unless at
tackled by some disease or destroyed In some ef-
fectual way our country will soon b overrun
by them. The tide Of public opinion has
turned against the sparrows and persons are as
anxious now to have them destroyed as they
were to protect them.
When our wheat fields are ravaged by them,
our fruit attacked and our native birds de-
stroyed 1t is natural that we should be anxious
to get them out Of the way.
NATIVE BIRDS DRIVEN FROM HOME.
Having American tastes am fond of Ameri-
can birds and do not relish the idea Of this army
OF English generals attacking our birds and
driving them away from their natural homes.
The prolonged and suppressed song Of our little
house wren is no longer heard, and their little
hate ol.S hov =