The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-04
HOMES FOR
The BIRDS
Directions for Attracting Sing
Ing Feathered Friends.
DESTROY THE SPARROWS

knef onOuiu Ce Nltieu tto'tl0' Se'sso'Es
houses for Martins, Wrens, Blue.
birds-Tho Value Of
ShrubberY
By EDWARD 3. CLARK.
Associate Member American Ornitholo.
gIsts Union.
n would be grateful to the writer OF
these few summer articles upon birds to
know that his words had stimulated In
terest enough to induce some Of his read
ers to welcome the birds TO their homes
when the spring comes once again and
the feathered army Ia marching. with tho
north star az n guidon,
whether you live In city or country you
may have the birds as companions II YOU
will but prepare for them the houses In
which they like to dwell, or SEQ to It that
conditions OF surroundings OF yard, gar.
don or orchard nro made congenial. Some.
thing OF this has been said In n previous
article, but tho attempt will be hero to
and holding OF our tuneful friends.
GET RID OF sPARROWS.
It may be shock to some of our hui
mantarIans when II Is said that the first
necessary step OF preparation for secur-
Ing robin. wren. blucbrd. orlole. martin
and other feathered neighbors Is the get
ting rid Of the companionship OF the pes
tiferous English sparrow. the unspeaka-
In fan NIL ha
our domestic life. Call him what you
Will, there is no tsrm too harsh and no
name which in the description OF his
utter worthessness and savagery can 60
beyond the bounds OF truth.
have seen the English sparrow kill
our native BIRDS have seen him rob the
young OF the food which their patient and
too umid parents had brought them: l
have seen him tear to pieces the labori-
ously built nests Of the robin and tho
wren. He deserves no mercy, and he
should be shown none II you wish song
birds about your doorstep, kill this muir
derous little thief with the rusty hinge
creak in his throat and in the killing
make the world better by the loss OF .
pest and add to your lives the music Of
the birds whose ways are loving and
whose companlonship Is sweet.
This coming winter arm yourself with a
small rifle and use cartridges filled with
few bird shot. You won't harm your
neIghbors with this kind OF a charge.
neither will you make noise enough to
bring you into discredit. II you simply
wish to keep your own premises free from
sparrows kill four or five of them day
for week and after that for some time
you can't get one of the cunning rascals
to come within sighting distance OF your
yard. II after month"; they show dis
position to become holder Kill few more,
andtkeep zat itat odd intervals we'll into
the spring.
THE POISON PLAN.
II you wish to do all your neighbors
service go to work systematically to,
kill the sparows. Frank Bond, now con-
nected with the government biological
survey and formerly resident OF Wyo-
ming rid Cheyenne OF English sparroWs
In single season. and when no started out
there were thousands upon thousands OF
the savage little aliens In the city streets
Mr.. Bond used poison. In fall and winter
tho sparows feed In great flocks. Find
out ono OF thor favorite feeding grounds,
choose bare spot near by and strew
1t with poisoned wheat. You will soon
reap a harvest OF the only. good sparrows
dead ones. Watch the place where the
wheat was streWn, and when the spar
rows have finished their fnal mea2
sweep up tho remaining poisoned grains
ana destroy mem.
Here Is recipe for the stuff: Mix
drachm Of strychnia with three quarts
of boiling water. Let the mixture boil
until the poison is dissolved. Put enough
wheat INTO the poisoned water to absorb
It; then put the mixture aside for forty
eight hours. The wheat will be found to
have swollen greatly. Spread It over the
bottom OF pan and place 1t in an oven
to dry. but be sure 1t does not scorch
Tho sparrows will like wheat prepared in
this way. There Is no cruelty in their
killing. Death Is swift and painless.
After having killed your. sparrows got
ready to welcome your friends Of the
large grounds. you may hope to have
nearly all the feathered friends about you
that your country cousins can claim. but
Il you have merely the ordinary city
though they are likely to be interesting.
II you live in a fiat you can have but one
kind Of bird neighbor. and he Will be
roof dweller. for whom you must prepare
box, and make certain that tho other
tenants Of the fiat building will not inter-
fere with his housekeeping arrangements.
BOX FOR PURPLE MARTINS.
The purple martin (Progne subis) Is a
housebuilding bird, and something of his
habits have. been told before. If you have
about twenty-five feet high, II 1t BIO
necessary to go aloft for site, raise tho
house about four feet above the roof. You
may provide as many apartments In your
martin house as you WISH Tho birds live
in colonies, and as matter Of fact with
/. tho martin 1t seems to be case Of the
more the uacrrer. Have each compart-
ment about seven inches from front to
rear. at least six inches high and five
inches In width, The entrance hole, prefer
ably. should be made midway between the
top and bottom of the front, and It should
be about the size Of silver half-dollar.
Keep the sparrows away and the
martins will be examining the premises.
and II satisfied with the arrangement you