News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-04-07
THE BOY
FARMER
Or a Member of the
Corn Club
"
BY ASA PATRICK
Copyright. 1915. by American Press
Association
By ASA PATRICK
Copyright. 1915. by American Press
Association

$50 far as any one knows" Sam eX
planned, they're the only bird that de
Btroys the potato beetle. They eat al
they can find. and they do us Il good
turn every time they gobble one. More
than that, every single quail eats thou
sands upon thousands of boil weevils
Some people used to argue that quail
didn't eat anything except grain. But
we know better now. They eat in
seets of all kinds. as well as weed
seed"
IF that's so they ought not to be
killed." said Bill.
"Of course not" said Sam. I'VE
don't have any idea how much good
they do us 1t ought to be against the
law to kill quail at any time. AS it
is, they say insects destroy one-tenth
of all we produce. If we were to kill
all the birds there'd be snch a plague
of insects that they'd kill everything
all the trees and vegetation of all
kinds"
hammering Justify on dead tree. He
stopped and pointed with his finger.
bet | could knock i'm off with rifle
from here" be said.
Don't ever do it." cautioned Sam.
"He's another friend"
"WhatT exclaimed Bill. "a wood
peeker kills trees"
mo. he doesn't" said Sam. He saves
trees. A woodpecker never Dores a hole
in tree for fun. He's after worms or
making himself home, and he makes
his home in dead trees. When he
bores into a green tree he's after a
worm every time, and be always gets
him. The hole the bird makes will
grow up. but If the worm stays it'll
kill the tree. One woodpecker will go
over 600 trees in day and examine
them for bugs, egg deposits and worms.
1t doctors the tree inside and out.
saw a woodpecker go over nearly ev-
cry tree in our orchard"
"Well, now, didn't know that" said
BM. II been KNOWN woodpeckers all
my life, but | never paid no attention
to 'em. Guess / won't shoot no more
OF 'em."
"To tell the TRUTH Sam went on,
there are mighty few birds or animals
but what do more good than harm. |
believe the common old house eats kill
mere birds and chickens than all the
vafmints put together. | think it's
good deed to kill cat whenever yon
lind one. There are two kinds OF
hawks-the cooper and the sharp shin.
ned-that are bad to kill birds and
chickens. These two hawks look alike. |
They are small. The females are
notified browniSh color. and the males
are a dull blue. its a good thing to
kill them whenever you get chance.
The other hawks and owls don't do
mach harm. and they de- lots of good
because they live mostly on rats and
mice and such things. Once in awhile |
an owl viii bother chickens, but it's .
Only when its regular food is scarce.
Its pretty much the same way
about the fox, mink. weasel and skunk
once in awhile one of these varmints
will get to be bad after chickens. But
we could hardly do without them be
cause they keep down the swarms OF
field mice. rabbits, grassnoppers. crick
cts, hornets and wasps"
'Where'd you find ont these thngs?'
asked Bill. 81 know they're true when
hear you say EN-. but somehow /
never did think of 'em before
I've learned little by reading.
Sam told him, but mostly by keeping
my eyes and ears open when I'm out
I'm the woods and fields Sister and !
like TO study plants and animals, espe.
cially plants. We're going to take "A
correspondence course IN botany next
year in the state university. Florence
says she's going to be a florist, and |
want to know all about plants. so 1
can farm"
During the long afternoon Sam and
Bill 6shed and talked, every now and
then throwing out blue cat or a cog.
gle eye to add to their strings that
they kept fastened to the edge OF the
water. 1t was cool and shady along
the creek. Birds sang and squirrels
Chartered in the branches overhead.
The two farmers enjoyed the quiet
GOODNESS after the hot days in the field
Late in the afternoon they wound up
their lines and went home. each car.
rying a long string of fish. Sam sat
on the doorstep in the gathering dusk
and breathed the perfume from the
honeysuckle that clambered over the
yard fence. He saw the stars coming
put, one by one. and the moon creep
Ing up behind a big oak. He heard the
''who-who-who" of an owl away of ON
the creek. Then suddenly stars. moon
and owl all vanished. He smelled
fried fish and heard his mother calling
him to supper.