Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-12-25

For long time it has beer known that
birds are OF use In agriculture, but as 3
rule the farmer notices the harm done by
the birds and overlooks the good accom-
piished by them.
i The birds have two important values,
The first, or their working value, Is given
directly to the farm and 81, indirectly, TO
the farmer.
The farmer has enemies to contend with,
such as weeds, bugs, grasshoppers, cater
pillars and other kinds OF insects, but be
has friends helping him - the birds.
| We have the food OF birds divided into
rule our common birds do not confine
themselves entirely to one class. but pst
both vegets bic and animal food, although
they usually rely more on one than on the
other.
| Some of our most common vegetable
eating birds, or those that feed to some
extent on seeds, are the robins, bluebirds,
sparrows, lbobolinks and iuncoe. The
| principal food OF the iunco Is weed seed.
About 61.s per cent. Of seed is eaten in every
month and in September IL amounts to
a5 per cent. OF his food. By destroying so
many weed seeds they render great ser
vice to agriculture and should be pro-
| tected.
Birds eating animal food are the follow
ing, The robin, about ~ per cent Of
| whose food Is animal, made up CT grass
hoppers, caterpillars, angleworms, beetles,
spiders and snails. Although ne does
some damage to small fruits, yet he does
SO much good that ne should be forgiven
the fault of taking a few cherries or
straw berries, when we ourselves can not
resist the temptation OF feasting.
The woodpcckers, two thirds to three
four,hs of whose food consists of insects,
are helping to save our trees and forests
by devouring wood boring beetles, cater
pillars and ants. The kingbird's food con-
sists almost entirely of insects. nearly all
being injurious. The kipgbird is also
useful in driving away ha ks and crows.
The Eswaliows eat great numbers of
beetles, mosquitoes and small insects that
are of no use. Other birds destroying in
sects are the sp@rrows, bluabirds hum
mingbirds,. cuckoos. bobolinks. orioles,
!
Yoa may ask of what use are biuejays,
crows and hawks. They surely have
harmful traits, but il care is exercisde
they do little or no damage. And they
kill a great many insects and mice that
are detrimental to the farm.
Summing up the working value OF birds
we have all our common birds eating both
weed seeds and insects. Destroying the
hundreds of weed seeds is really making
less plentiful the weeds, and killing the
thousands Of beetles, spiders, grasshop-
pers and caterpiilars is merely saving the
corn, vegetable and bay crops, and our
apple trees and forests, from which the
farmer receives his sustenaucc.
The second or estheiic value is impaired
directly TO the farmer through his senses
of sight and hearing. How wonderful to
the sight are the bright flashes OF blue
from the bluebird, yellow from the. gold
inch, red from the purple inch. and
orange from the oriole, mixed with the
more sombre colors of brown and gray
from the sparrows and iuneos. Also the
steady flight OF the crow compared With
the darting swiftness of the humming-
bird, the skimming OF the swallow with
the ierky flight OF the grosbeak.
And think OF. the igrand music poured
forth from the threats of the song spar
row. robin and .biueoird in the early
morning hours, and the sweet song OF the
swsmp robin at evenings dusk.
Are these notIof value to the farmer,
who hath eyes to.see and ears to hear OF
the greatness OF ..natures Longfellow has
taught us the value OF birds jim ell these
ways in this beautiful poem:
What Would yoa rather see the ineessant
4 stir
OF insects in thei windows of the hay,
And hear the locust and the grasshopper
Their melancholy hardy-gardies play
Is this more pleasant TO you than the whir
of meadow-lark, and her sweet ronndelay,
Or twi,ter of little held-taFes as you take
Your incoming in the shade of bush aud brake:
You call them .thieves and pillsgers; bat
know,
They are the winged wsrdens of your farms,
Who from the corpfelds drive the insidious
foe,
And from your haryests keep a hundred
harms;
,
Renders good service as your mau-at-arms,
Crushing the beetle in his coat of-maii,
Aud crying havoc on the slug and snail.
You slay them ALI And wherefores for the
gain
OF q scant handful more or less of wheat.
} Or rye, or barley, or some other grain,
Scratched up at random by industrious feet,
Searching for worm weeyil after rainl
Or a few cherries, that are not sweet
AS are the songs these unlimited guests
Sing at their feast with comfortable breasts.
Do you meier think what woudrous beings
these9
Famous stag. Besotiss
look with horror ON Skin Eruptions, Blotehes,
Sores or Pimples. They don't have them.
/ For al such troubles use Bucklen's Arniea
Salve. IL giorthes the face Excellent for