Evening star., 1944-05-25
This and That
By Charles +. TracetDell.
TAILS CHURCH, Va,

Dear Sir:
That interesting and attractive little
animal, the gray squirrel, is becoming
something Of pest, and I would like
very much to know what can be done
about it.
Il have an apricot tree which blos-
SONS and bears fruit quite heavily every
year. Iehave noticed that this is an
unusually good year for all kinds of
blossoms, fruit trees included, and the
apricot tree was no exception.
The tree was pink-tinged white
mass. The apricots grow fast and are
now the size Of olives.
"The tree stands some 10 feet from q
hedge Of very tall arbor vitae trees,
When the apricots are beginning to
ripen the squirrels climb up the ever
greens and Jump across to the apricot
tree where they pick the fruit, gnaw of
the flesh and drop 1t, crack the stone
and eat the meat.
"A neighbor who has large old-time
cherry tree which bears well, says they
never get any cherries. The squirrels
get them all. Can you suggest ANYTHING
that they are fond Of, that can be used
to attract them from the apricots and
cherries? Sincerely, A. v. c."
X
&c STREET s.W.
Dear Sir:
Again I must speak for my friends,
the English sparrows, since some one
has already noted that my other
friends the starlings, are destroying
harmful insects.
The sparrows are more and more
becoming insect eaters. When first
imported they ate grain almost ex-
clusively, and did 80 until recent years.
But In 1888 along the Hudson River
drive, when a westerly wind brought in
swarms of Jap beetles, the sparrows
were right after them, catching them
In the air and then banging them on
the top of the retaining wall to kill
them before eating them
Yesterday from my window 7 saw
the sparrows very meticulously going
over the leaves of what look like plum
tree in neighboring yard, examining
the leaves closely and picking some
small insects or perhaps eggs off them
There was plenty of bread in the
yard below, but the sparrows swarmed
over this tree after the insects. I have
bunch of sort of pet sparrows that 7
have been feeding where I work One
that has an injured eye is very tame.
and comes when I whistle, and will
scold like anything If I do not have
bread for him Immediately and when
] throw 1t out he gives as sweet chirp
OF thanks as any bird could do.
Very cordially yours, G. C. W."
Squirrels seem to have a wide range
of foods.
They will consume, according to re-
ports to this column over the years,
such things as peanuts, nuts of all sorts
various seeds, such as those of the
sunflower, watermelon and cantaloupe
tomatoes, bread, even raisins.
1t might be good plan to try putting
out some peanuts for them at the time
the fruit comes along. although this is
not guaranteed to sidetrack them for
long
1t must be remembered that fruit is
delight to many creatures, including
men and squirrels
Perhaps If the grower can get himself
into the state of mind in which he will
be willing to share his apricots and
cherries with the squirrels and robins 1T
will be much better all around for both
him and the wild creatures.
Our personal experience has been
that the wild animals and birds gener-
ally do not do half as much damage as
they seem to be doing
1t is very easy, If one is the owner of
a tree, to enyison its complete denuda-
tion by an active squirrel or two.
In most cases, we believe, much fruit
will be left for the rightful owner.
AS for the English sparrows, they un-
doubtedly are intelligent birds and we'll
able to learn new ways In strange
land.
Both they and the starlings In time
will become, we do not doubt, among our
best insect cstchers This is because
they are progressive birds, not too held
down by instinct. In this they are
typical Of the new age and therefore
probably may bs regarded as birds Of
the future In q peculiar sense.