HOW TO BUILD HOUSES FOR THE BIRDS
It was Simple Simon who taught the Bunny Tots the things they know about how to keep the birds all winter, by setting out trays of the right kinds of food that the birds like. And it was Simple Simon, also, who taught them how to make bird boxes in THE RIGHT WAY, so that the birds would really come and LIVE in the houses.
"Of coourse," some folks would say, "ANYONE can go out any day, and nail up a bird house!"
And so they can. But, when one goes to looking into this bird house buisness a little deeper, he soon finds that some folks are a good deal cleverer at building bird houses that really SUIT the birds. Because, no one can MAKE the birds live in the house, you know!
Now, probably nobody who ever lived is cleverer at this work than Master Simple Simon-Pieman.
The whole trick about this bird house buisness," Simple Simon used to say, "is to know what kind of birds are most apt to come and build in your neighborhood. And, when you know THAT, why-then you know just who you are working for.
"You has to know," Simon would say, "the size of the house to make, the number of openings to make, how high to put the house above the ground; whether to put the houses on walls, on trees, or up on high poles, and so on. Also you'd better know a few things about how to let the air in-because VERY hot weather kills the young birds, unless their nests are kept cool by the breezes. And, on 'tother hand, a DRAFTY nest will kill the young birds too.
"Take a WREN box now, for example. Anybody will tell you that a Jenny Wren will come along and build a nest in an old tomato can, or fence post that takes her fancy.
"But, a Jenny Wren has so many things to look out for, such as bad boys, cats, snakes, English Sparrows (which are more or less outlaw birds, you know). So, that, if wren houses are made RIGHT, and hung up in safe places, why-Jenny Wren is going to raise her brood without loosing quite as many of her nestlings.
"Now, a wren house, to be made properly, should measure about six inches high, four inches wide, with a door, or opening NOT LARGER than a silver quarter! For a wren can easily go through an opening that size, and be safe from cats and English Sparrows.
"Never put a perch in front of an opening!
"For this only makes a perch for Jenny Wren's enemies, and is not needed at all by Jenny Wren herself.
"Two small holes bored up high in the sides of the box will furnish fresh air and coolness to the nestlings. The 'door' of the house should be well up under the eaves, so as to keep the rain from being driven inside by the wind.
"If the inside of the FRONT of the box is too smooth, or the box is too deep inside, the young birds may not be able to climb up to get out at the opening.
"Very often a Jenny Wren will build many dummy nests before finishing one that is really to her liking. So you might just as well hang up quite a lot of different boxes, and let Jenny Wren come along and make her own choice.
"Wren boxes should be hung fairly low; should NEVER be put in dense woods; and should be placed with the openings AWAY from prevailing breezes."
With such directions from Simple Simon, the Bunny Tots all got busy with tiny hammers, and saws, and augers, and soon they had a wonderful village of quaint bird houses, with windows and chimneys, and tiny porches, and eaves and rafters, and tiny shingles. And some they painted in the gayest colors. The painted ones looked very wonderful, but somehow the Bunny Tots always noticed that the birds built nests in the ones with sober colors, while the gaily painted houses remained still "For Rent."