Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-08-06
EVENING Chat

II EvENINC HAl
Blackbirds have caught the prevail
ing spirit of the times and have started
TO mobilize. The black-coated visitors
to our fields and parks and gardens
appear TO realize that they are now
protected by law and are gathering
| preparatory to their flight for southern
states in the most open manner and in
places which they would not have
cared to frequent a few years ago
When they were legitimate game in the
fall. The blackbird is one of the
/ conspicuous visitors to this part of
/ the state. Indeed the lower Susque-
hanna Valley appears to be one of the
! taNorlte gathering places for the birds
and they are present this year in large
/ numbers Although 1t is rather early,
, they have commenced to flock together
| and some large bands have been seen
/ nylng in clouds about the wooded sec
! tons in the evenings. Just at present,
however, they are more numerous In
grain fields than anywhere else. In
years gone by the blackbirds did not
gather until late in August, but this
! year they have been noticed flocktng
| together, and some hundreds have
| been seen in Reservoir Park. Last
! year Father Penn in recognition of the
NesiudbiS StINICeS TtnueTGu TO
and garden owners by the blakbirds
put them into the same class as the
| robins and put the kildeer along with
them, Now a blackbird may not be
Killed unless he is caught doing dam
age to crops or fruit or tearing up the
! nests of other birds. To the credit of
the industrious, pugnacious insect de-
stroyer it can be said that very few
reports have been received of depre-
datlons on the nests of other birds
hereabouts. The blackbirds have been
very busy in Capitol Park, the Reser-
Vcir and even in the city parks this
Year although more numerous in the
fields near the city than anywhere
else.
Men who observe birds and bugs,
the flying. crawling and creeping
things that come around say that
Harrisburg owes the preservation of
its riverside parks and the Capitol
and Reservoir Parks from the ravages
of the army worm to the robins, spar
rows, blackbirds and other feathered
inhabitants of the public places. Some
men who are students say that If
people would put up bird houses and
encourage the birds to come around
they would be surprised how the dam.
age by various pests would be les
Sened. One of the reasons why truck
gardens on the outskirts of the city
were not visited by the worms which
caused such havoc among the city
gardens was that there were plenty of
birds. Some of the robins and other
birds did get around where the worms
were to be found and for days went
to bed so gorged with fat, juicy diet
that they could hardly hang to their
perches. The greatest enemy the army
worm has is a real live. industrious
robin, although the blackbird is some
6aStrnNpr on
The people up on Capitol Hill who
managed to escape the army worm
are doing their level best to keep out
the tent caterpillar and men armed
with broomsticks tipped with tin or
steel are making inspections of the
tree trunks and the corners and places
where the caterpillars gather to spin
their cocoons. 1t takes everlasting
vigilance on Capitol Hill to keep down
the various pests and the fact that the
trees are so free from the webs of the
moths testifies to the thoroughness of
the work.
DR.. Joseph Kalbfus, the State Game
Commissioner. to whose advocacy the
bill protecting the black bird and other
birds which were formerly game was
due, says that If people in the towns
could only realize how much value the
birds were in dollars and cents as do
there would be bird houses all over
the cities and the birds would be en-
couraged TO come around instead of
being frightened off. The damage
done by birds is infinitesimal COM
pared to the benefits they confer. In
stances are known where people who
had suffered loss of rare roses and
flowers and raids on gardens because
of various pests made it a point to
scatter around food for birds and the
next year, thanks to the robins and
sparrows, the bugs were cleaned out.
1t might be remarked in passing
that farmers in this part of the state
who have protected quail in winter
time and gone to the trouble to cast
feed for them among the hedgerows
and places where Bob White" is gem
orally found have found that their
fields were protected from insects to
such an extent that they refused to
shoot the quail in season and hated to
see hunters come around Every quail,
argue DR.. Kalbfus and State Zoologist
Surface. has a value in dollars and
cents to the farmers, and if they are
fed in winter and protected in sum-
mer the farmers will find that they
amply repay the care.