The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-08-07
Children's Column.
ORCHARDvILLE FOLKS.

rustic homes. The names of the
streets r odd, too, such as Summer
Sweet, Astrakhan, GPeening, Bald
win, and Pippin. I was staying near
Orchardsville last summer, and the
life of it's bright, cheerful little peo-
pie interested me greatly.
About the middle of April, while
the wind still swept coldly over the
hills and before verdure had begun
to appear on the trees, a pair of blue
birds came and took possession of
the home of a wOodpecker in the
trunk of a gnarled old greening APP
pie tree 1t was a snug little hole,
six inches deep, with a very round
doorway and a clean, chip-dirt floor.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bluebird set to work
and furnished it neatly with dried
grass, and sOOn there were four pref
ty, hght-blue eggs within it. These
first settlers were a cheerful little
pair, and the merry ssnatches of
song of Mr.. Bluebird, as he sat in
his doorway, were pleasant to hear.
/ heard some harsher notes one day,
and found this little fellow bravely
defending his castle against a robber
chipmunk, who regarded birds eggs
as legitimate booty. Little bluecoat
showed himself no coward, for with
much peeping, futtering of wings,
and a good use of his bill, he drove
off the marauder.
In the meantime, various other
p~rospectors had visited the orchard
and selected sites for their homes.
About the time that four little blue
birds we're taking their first flying
lessons, a pair of robins commenced
laying the foundation of a substan-
tial dwelling. The leaves were quite
thick on the apple trees now, and
they selected the shadiest nook, at
the branching of two strong limbs
of the summer sweetening tree. Mr..
Robin is a skillful mason, and mud
work constituted the bulk of the
nest, then a layer of tBigs and a
good grass lining. The whole thing
was an imposing structure, and the
largest home in Orchardville. Four
big blue eggs we're laid, which Madam
Robin guarded night and day. 1 well
remember what a terrible scolding /
got for just looking at those eggs.
When four big, wide-mouthed, home
ly children filled the nest completely,
the supply of bugs and worms that
was ordered was astonishing.
On the same street-that is to say,
on the same tree, but higher up and
almost invisible from the ground-a
pair of red-headed linnets built a
frail little nest of horse-hair, Nand
five little blue eggs, speckled with
black at the larger end, were Matched
out there. This little red-headed
family was very plebeian. They and
their cousins, the ground sparrows,
went everywhere and into every
thing, chipping and chattering all
day. The ground sparrows made
their home in the tall grass that
fringed a rock near an old choke
pear tree. 1t was very carefully
concealed. and no one would eve
have suspected it was there if Mrs.
Ground Sparrow had not flown ex-
citedly out when any came too near.
Very plain little people they were,
but the four roundA eggs of notified
~red-brOwn on a. background of blush
white were a pretty sight, nestled in
the snug little grass home.
The verdure of the trees was dense
now, and the air fragrant with
blossoms. On some of the trees the
fruit had set. A noisy and quarrel
some pair of kingbirds settled in the
top of the old Tallman sweet. The
rest of the feathered population
voted these newcomers a nuisance,
for besides their ~quarrels and blck-
erings, they were thievish and
sluttiSh, Their housekeeping showed
this quality "a the nest was hardly
half finished and was very dirty
mostly mud and feathers. BIT when,
one day, Mr.. Kingbird went forth
and vaIliantly did battle with a rob
Der baron-a hen-hawk that threat
ened their little community-public-
opinion was not so severe against
the pair. And, after all, Mr.. King
bird was a handsome fellow, in his
drab coat and light vest, especially
mhcn he hecame angry or excited,