Evening star., 1944-04-17
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TraceDell.
RHODE ISLAND AVE.

lSLAND AVE.
'rDear Sir:
Il find myself more and more often
turning toward your article in The Star
for interest and relief from the disturb
ing front-page news.
Il lose myself for a while in your
amusing column, dream Of my own gar
den to be, and find tranquility of soul
which is pleasant in these times, II
only for few fieeting moments.
And for this have long desired to
say Thank your
Would you be kind enough to answer
q question for me? Do the various
garden sprays for roses, ETC., affect the
birds? am planting a garden this
year (aower) for the first time, and am
anxious to attract the birds-am also
determined not to harm them.
What houses should I put up for
the birds that frequent Washington
City gardens? And what should put
out in the way of food?
Thank you for the privilege of writ
ing you for information. I should not
have had the temerity had / not no.
ticed quotations In your column from
others. Sincerely, A. F."
4
As far as we know, the sprays used
on flowers will not harm the birds.
There is some likelihood that some of
the virulent poisons for vegetable gar
den sprays may kill songster now and
then.
Persons interested in birds should keep
q close lookout on the species which
come to their gardens, and If they find
any ailing birds they should revise their
spraying schedules
The birds do not eat the poison, but
consume insects which have eaten it,
and In this way are harmed.
1t Is impossible to tell, of course,
whether a dead bird has been killed by
eating a poisoned insect in another
garden or in ones own. The extension
OF vegetable gardening in the past two
years has led to some tragedies in this
respect. 1t is really a tragedy, because
the birds come to the gardens, in the
first place, to help the gardener clear
up on the inimical bugs.
AS for the type of birdhouses to put
up locally, we believe that one cannot
do better than a nice bluebird house
and wren house. These houses may
be purchased rather cheaply, and If one
wants to make them, here are the
dimensions: For the bluebird house,
floor of box. S by inches; depth of box,
inches; diameter of hole, III inches:
hole above floor, 6 inches, and height
above ground, 4 to 10 feet. For the wren
house, floor Of box, by inches: depth
OF box, s to inches; hole above floor,
to inches; diameter Of hole, inch,
and height above ground, to 10 feet.
1t must be kept in mind that putting
up box does not at all insure that a
bird will come, and especially that the
right bird will come. All one can do
is put up the house and hope for the
best. In the city English sparrows often
take over the bluebrd houses, but we
can assure our correspondent that an
English sparrow family is interesting to
watch.
Foods put out to lure the birds NAV
include wildbird food, mixture of va
rious seeds; baby chick food, as it is
called, commonly used for poultry; sun
flower, watermelon and canteloupe seed :;
pieces OF old bread, moistened with
water, and any clean leftovers which
may result from the family meals
Garbage. as such, should not be used,
but there are many bits of food which
can be used, and which the birds relish,
and yet which are not eyesores when
placed under shrub
A window sill often makes nice feed
ing station, but most birds like nothing
better than the ground. 1t should be
kept in mind that II bread is used
starlings will gather, especially in the
city. 1t is good thing, now and then,
to put out bread, just to see how quickly
the stsrlings will find 1t, and how they
conduct themselves. Catbirds, mock
ingbirds and robins may be attracted
by raisins. Food put out about o'clock
on summer evenings will be appreciated
by cardinals and others.