Evening star., 1936-11-12
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES e. TRACEWELL.

So many inquiries have come to this
desk concerning the why, which, what
and when of wild bird feeders to be used
in. home gardens that we think some
thing more ought to be said on the SUBJ
ject.
Evidently great many persons feel
there Is something very mysterious about
such automatic feeding devices, when
the truth is that they are no more mys-
terious than an old soap box.
Such box, placed on its side, might be
used as a very satisfactory feeder.
Tricked up with coat Of green paint, or
stained brown, given a bit of rail along
the front bottom, and placed with its
back really the bottom of the box)
toward the northwest. soap box would
make quite as nice a feeder as any.
We suggest this because so many per-
sons have written in, evidently under
the impression that there is something
terribly unusual about a bird feeder.
1t is possible to purchase. OF course,
many intriguing, some Of them expensive,
devices. There are several firms through
out the United States which cater to this
demand. They supply tables with raised
edges, boxes to be put on trees, posts.
stakes, to be hung from the limbs Of
trees. and so on.
They even make them to be run on a
pulley. so that the feeder may be pulled
closer and closer to the house, day by day.
They supply feeders which hold grain,
some which hold suet: they make 'em
with glass panels. so that the spectator
may not miss bird: they furnish, for
price, neat window shelf feeders to tempt
the songsters close.
Any handy person can rig up feeder
at practically no cost, by keeping well in
mind the desirable features.
These features must take into consid-
Grafton both the needs Of the birds and
the human watchers.
Let us begin with the simplest of all
feeding devices, not forgetting that it
is possible to feed our feathered friends
simply by placing a handful Of grain or
bread crumbs on the ground.
There seems to be a need for some
thing more than this, however. 1t is
safer and all things taken into considera-
ton, more satisfactory to the birds to
supply them with food on an elevated
place.
Feel sure that no matter what pre-
cautions are taken to keep their food
supply high and dry. they will manage
to scatter some Of it on the ground be-
meath. where many prefer to feed.
If they do not, the squirrels Will. AT
this point let us say, once and for all,
that efforts often made to keep the squir-
rels away from the feast are practically
wasted. In the end 1t is best to let these
rodents have their share. since they Will
manage to get it anyway.
Newcomers to the delightful pastime OF
bird feeding spend far too much time.
effort and worry over the squirrels. The
best thing to do is to emulate the birds
and make the best of them.
The feeding table with a raised edge
or ledge is the simplest real feeding de-
vice. 1t may be placed any place in the
yard, preferably where it can be seen
easily from the house. This. by the way,
applies to all devices.
The drawback of the table lies in the
fact that on rainy days the food supply
becomes wet through, and on snowy
Winter days is hidden from the birds.
Keeping the food supply dry is rather
catering to the human mind than the
birds, for they will eat sodden grain and
seeds if nothing else offers.