Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-04-23

furnish suitable homes in our trees.
In addition To this every home builder
should plant few trees and bushes
that bear bird food II is well known
that birds prefer wild to cultivated
fruit, and that to protect our berries
the vey best way is to plant along the
fences and as hedges truit.bearing
shrubs The Tartarian honeySuckle
IS one Of the cheapest OF these, and
tie bayberry ranks with the wild
cherries, the mulherries and the June
berries in furnishing very large
spread Of bird food Our city streets,
our school yards ard our public parks
might be planted NEST pyoftably,
with some regard to this matter, since.
besides adding pleasing variety, ii will
tend to fill the towns, and even the
cities with our native birds"
If We see To the food question.
majority Of our birds would face the
winters and stay with lis the year
around He tells us how pair OF
bluebirds was induced in this way to
stay all winter 50 miles north of New
York. Theodore Wood, discussing
our bird allies, says that seed-eating
birds not only destroy vast amount
of weed seeds but take up also per
centage Of insect food. which makes
them Of great value The oriole, while
somewhat destructive to fruit, eSpe
cially to grapes, is 0mniVorous when
! it comes TO cat,rpiIlars rejected by
other birds, Winter birds are partiCu-
larly valuable because they destroy
those insect eggs which are too closely
hidden to be found at any other sea-
son. eggs that will hatch out in the
spring. to begin destructive work,
Swallows live entirely upon insects;
anu it seems reasonable to leave a
hole in the house attic and openings
into the barns large enough for these
birds to enter for attaching their nests
to rafters. If this is done they will
often stay with lis through the whole
year. The chickadee is another bird
easily domestiCated and easily per-
suaded to stay with us during the win
ter months. Prof. Forbush reports find
ing $500 eggs of plant lice in the crop
of a single Chickadoe. Understand
that this made one breakfast Any
one, in town or in country, who has
even slightly trained his observing
powers. must have noticed what
clearance Of the atmosphere is made
by night hawks and chimney swiftS.
The latter flies with his mouth open,
~, sFf,l 1,v mot oh
houses and trees. BY the swapping of
I his bill YOU may be sure that he is
| counting his victims by the thousands.
| Chapman tells us that on two occa.
sions chickadees have alighted on his
| hands Celia ThaNtcr records similar
experience, Set it down for a certain
~ that. with little care in the way
of sheltered hooks, bird-houscs and
/ plenty of bird food. we can double the
population of our bird colonies in
few years. Farmers should consider
! the advantage. not only to themselves
| and their fruit. but to the comfort OF
| their animals
President Roosevelt writes letter,
which appears in Bird Lore, in which
! he says: AS for the birds that are
the special object OF preservation by
our society, We should keep them just
as we keep trees. They add immeas.
! Tably to the Wholesome beauty Of
! life Prof Hodge offers the follow,
/ ing pledge for individuals and for
clubs: Il promise to do all can for
our native birds by treating them