Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-06-22
AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN.
Interesting Letters from Hancock
County Farmers.

SOuH'y FuTuitTS.
The third bulletin of the State board of
agriculture for the season of 1898 is devoted
principally to the song birds of Maine.
1t is a particularly interesting and val
liable number. 1t contains the following
letters from Hancock county farmers:
DEER IsLE-In this section there is
not much need of protection for birds, as
very few, even Of the boys, think of de-
stroying them. The most common kinds
that are numerous, are the ch1ckadee,
robin, sparrow. martin, cave swallow,
woodpecker, kingbird and a beautiful
brown and red bird commonly called the
appletree bird, although probably that is
not the scientific name. OF course there
are many other kinds, but these are very
numerous, also the yellow birds-Ameri-
can canaries they might be called. These
are very tame; a pair of them nest in a
shrub within three feet of my house every
year. AS to the crow, will farmers or
scientists ever agree as to whether he does
more harm in destroying grain than he
does good in destroying insects? The
kingbird destroys all the small fruits that
he can reach; does he destroy insects
stroy good many insects to pay for his
depredations on small fruits, particularly
straw berries, but who feels the heart to
grudge him share? In this section, last
winter, when the snow was so deep, hocks
OF birds came round the houses, and
people threw out hay seed, crumbs, ETC.,
and the birds seemed to show their graft
tude by perching near and singing their
sweetest notes. Long live the birds!
r. S. WARREN.
LAMoINE-We do not believe we can
get too many of the small birds to alight
in our orchards and gardens. We have
noticed that many OF the birds We see in
Il no r.-tft
later in the season. Do they go some
where else to spend the summer? II so,
where and why do they go? This class of
birds, we have noticed, seem to be more
shy than many Of our common field birds,
as sparrows and robbins. Is it possible
that they go further from the haunts of
man to nest and rear their young? We
would be obliged to anyone who will en-
tighten us on this point.
HANCoCK-As to the benefit that birds
are in the way of destroying bad insects,
| am we'll convinced it is greatly over
estimated. 1t is my firm belief that if
all the birds We're annihilated it would
have no effect in increasing our most de-
structive insects. Who ever saw bird
eat potato bug or tent caterpillar?
My observation has fully convinced me
that they seldom form part of the bird S
| diet. The birds insect food is more
largely composed of those insects which
are comparatively harmless to crops, or
really benefit to them, as the earth
worm. There are many insects which
birds eat which are destroyers of bad in
sects these include certain kinds of ants.
But with all this, do not get the idea, my
reader, that | advocate the wanton de-
struction of the birds, but only to present
the matter in its true light. A degree of
consistency should always govern our
thoughts and acts. f. w. WOOSTER.
ORLAND-There are few people who
are not interested in our little friends,
the song birds. On the farm they are
heard at their best. The songsparrow
who emigrates to a warmer cline when
cold weather approaches, is one of the
first to greet us with his sweet song in the
early spring. Another of our familiar
birds is the black capped titmouse, or
chickadee, which, unlike the sparrow, does
not fear the cold weather, but stays with
us. His merry "chickadee-d dee" can be
heard in our orchards during the coolest
days in winter, where he is busily en-
gagged in searching the limbs for insects.
Their nests can often be found in some
hollow tree near the farm buildings.
The robin is quite domestic in his habits.
He builds his nest as near the farm build
ings as he can find it convenient, as in
stinct tells him that this is a protection
from his enemy, the crow. As a song
bird, he is fiat failure. His diet con-
sists of angleworms and Strawberries,
especially strawberries. The only way to
save the berries is to fill those robins with
numbe ten bird shot. Scarecrows are of
no use. The bobolink, who spends his
winters in southern cline, we do not
see enough of. His rollicking song is
never tiresome. They seem to be decreas-
ing in this locality. 1t is only at long in
tervals that one is heard.
A, H. DRESSER.