Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-10-18

greatest Importance.
Our Grosbeaks and Their Value to
Agriculture
| (By ". L. McAtee, assistant in U. 8. Biolog-
1 cial Survey.l
Seven kinds Of fnches, commonly
known % grosbsaks, summer within our
boundaries. The majority Of these are
good friends of the farmer and deserve to
b widely known in order that their serv-
ice may Be appreciated. The grosbeaks are
easily distinguished from other fnches
by their stout form, bright plumage, mag
sive bills and melodious voices. Two Of
them live mainly In cold or mountainous
areas, and, having little to do with farms
| or with the insects that prey on crops,
may be dismissed without further notice.
The other i've live largely in agricul-
tural regions and secure most Of their
| food about cultivated lands. All Of them
feed to some extent upon crops, but only
one does appreciable harm. On the other
hand, all perform invaluable service in
destroying certain Of our worst insect
pests. 1t is the purpose Of this bulletin
to make known the exact nature of the
services rendered by grosbeaks, to suggest
means OF reducing or preventing such
| damage % they do, and to propose
methods Of protecting them.
The rose breasted grosbeak = "Potato-
bug bird"-has an extensive range, breed
ing from Kansas and the mountains Of
Tennessee north to Newfoundland and the
Great Slave lake region. 1t eats green
peas, and is charged with injuring or
chsrds, both by bidding and by eating
the fruit. Our investigations lend no
support to the latter accusation, and,
although the birds eat peas, they invari-
ably consume enough injurious insects to
more than offset the damage.
uThe rosebreast has long been held in
high esteem because OF its habit Of prey
ing upon the Colorado potato beetle, and
the name potato-bug bird suggests its
important services in this direction.
Larve, as well as adult beetles, are con-
sumed, and q great many are fed to
nestlings. No less than q tenth Of the total
food Of the rose breasts examined consists
OF potato beetles = evidence that the bird
is one Of the most important enemies OF
the pest. Its services in devouring other
exceedingly harmful insects are scarcely
less valuable. 1t vigorously attacks Gu
cumber beetles and many OF the scale in
scots.
1t proved an active enemy OF the Rocky
Mountain locust during that insects
ruinous invasions, and among the other
pests it consumes are the spring and fall
cankerworms, orchard and forest tent
caterpillers, tussock, gypsy and brown
tail moths, plum curculio, army worm
and chinch bug. In fact, not one Of our
birds has a better record. The rosebreast
attacks the worst enemies OF agriculture,
making them its favorite prey, and time
after time it has rendered valuable aid in
checking their destructive infestations.
Cardinals gauge from southern Mexico,
Lower California and Arizona, north to
Iowa and Ontario and east to the Atlantic
spending the summer and winter in the
Same locality. 1t has been claimed that
they pull sprouting grain, but no evidence
of damage to either grain or other crops il
afforded by the examination of more than
500 stomachs. On the other hand, the
evidence IL ample that they do much good.
The redbird ID known to feed on the
Rocky mountain locust, periodical cicada,
and Colorado potato beetle. It u great
enemy also to the rose chafer, cotton
worm, plum or cherry scale, and other
scale insects, and attacks many other i'm
portant insect pests, including the zebra
caterpillar Of the cabbage, the cucumber
beetles, billbugs, locust, dea-beetle, corn
ear worm. cotton cutworm. southern ng-
eater, codling moth and boil weevil. In
addition, It consumes great many seeds
Of injurious weeds. Thus its food habits
entitle the bird to our esteem, - IL brilli-
ant coat and spirited song compel our ad-
mirstion.
Three Of the grnsbeaks, the rose
breasted, black headed; and the cardinal,
are charged with pulling more or less seed
grain. This fault, however, il not very
serious, since it d well known that repel-
LIANT mixtures applied to grain before SOW
ing protect 1t completely. Although the
fact il not 20 well known, grain 20 treated
can b sown BY machine, provided the fol-
lowing directions are observed:
Put one-fourth 70 one-half bushel Of corn
| Tor other grainl In . hali-barrsi tub; pour on
pailful Of hot water or ~ much - 10
necessary 10 well cover the corn; dip . stick
In gas tar and stir this briskly In the corn;
repeat until the corn 10 entirely black; pour
on onto burlap (bran sacks sre sxesllsnt)
spread In the sun and stir two or thrss times
DURING the day. II this werk 10 done IN sAe
morning end the day = eaany. The corn viii
Be ready for the planter ths next day without
any other care. The hot water soitsns the
| TAR 20 that only Just enough viii adhere 70
iGsaasat.