Page 401 - Our Vanishing Wild Life

TEACHING WILD LIFE PRUTECTIOX TO THE YOUNG 379
BIRD DAY AT CARRICK, PA. Marching Behind the Governor
that one of the best ways in the world to protect the wild life, both of to-day and the future, would be in teachinj.^ school children to love it and protect it. His fertile brain and open check-book soon devised a method for his home city. His theory was that by givin*.^ the children something to do, not only in protecting but in actually bringing back the birds, much might be accomplished.
In studying the subject of bringing back the birds, he found that the Russian mulberry is one of the finest trees in the world as a purvej'or of good fruit for many kinds of birds. The tree does not much resemble our native millberry, but is equally beautiful and interesting. "The fruit is not a long berry, nor is it of a purj^lc color, but it grows from buds on the limbs and twigs something after the manner of the pussy-willow. It is smaller, of light color and has a very distinct flavor. The most striking peculiarity about the fruit is that it keeps on ripening during two months or more, new berries appearing daily while others are rij^cn- ing. Thisiswhyitissuchgoodbirdfood. Norisithalfbadforfolks, for the berries are good to look at and to eat, either with cream or without, and to make pies that will set any sane boy's mouth a-watering at sight." —(Erasmus Wilson).