Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-04-23

we should make a general effort to
furnish suitable homes in our trees.
In addition to this every home builder
should plant a few trees and bushes
that bear bird food. 1t 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 fruitbearing
shrubs. The Tartarian honeysuckle
the barberry ranks with the wild
cherries, the mulberries and the June
berries in furnishing a very large
spread of bird food. Our city streets,
our school yards and our public parks
might be planted most profitably,
with some regard to this matter, since,
besides adding pleasing variety, it will
tend to fill the. towns, anG even the
cities with our native birds"
If We see to the food question, a
majority of our birds would face the
winters and stay with us the year
around. He tells us how a pair of
bluebirds was induced in this way to
stay all winter so miles north OF New
York. Theodore Wood, discussing
our bird allies, says that seed-eating
birds not only destroy a vast amount
of weed seeds, but take up also a per-
centage of insect food, which makes
them of great value. The oriole, while
somewhat destructive to fruit, espe-
cially to grapes, is omnivorous when
it comes to caterpillars 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 us 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 chickadee. 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 a
clearance of the atmosphere is made
by night hawks and chimney swifts.
The latter flies with his mouth open,
and generally not much above our
houses and trees. BY the swapping of
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 Thaxter records similar
experience. Set it down for a certain
ty that, with a little care in the way
of sheltered hooks, bird-houses 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: CAS- 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-
urably 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
with kindness and by providing them
with food, water and homes" We are
deeply interested in the fight that is
now going on, and propose to do our
share in saving and multiplying our
bird friends. We earnestly ask the
cooperation OF every reader of the
Register. May it not be long before
the words of Shelley shall be once
more chars cteristic of civilization
No longer now the winged habitants.
That in the woods their sweet lives
sing away,
Flee from the form of man; but gather
round,
And prune their sunny feathers on the
hands
Which little children stretch in friend.
ly sport
Toward these dreadless partners of
their play.