Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-09-01
COMMUNICATION
FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE GAME OF
rrrany,1r1ccraTz

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE GAME OF
TENNESsEE.-No. II.
promised in my last to treat in this number Of
the protection of birds.
The persons who are the settlers of new countries
are apt to look upon the timber and game as supera
bundant, and take of neither, SO that they slsy
the timber and make war upon the game as though
the supply was inexhaus ille. This course of con-
duct is generally kept up uatil shade and timber be-
scarce, and the game al gone. The evil is at
last discovered, but not until too late Groves have
to be planted, shade has to be grown, and game, if
they have any has to be importedi in order to bring
the country back again to its original state of beauty
and loneliness.
The findings that determine the squatter with re-
gard to the spot where he should build you will find
in the main to have been about as follows: First
spring, next, round, sraight logs, suitable to build
cabin, together with an oak that would make boards
and poplar that he could split into puncheons-
Where these things could be found in such relation
to each other not to require much hauling, that
was the spot for the house. no matter whether in the
bottom, the hillside, at the top; no thought
with respect to garden, orchards and grounds in
proper relation to the house ever entered into his
head just as soon as the cabin was built the next
thing to cut down all the trees great and small
that were within trees length of the house. The
next thing was to clear field, which was located
where it could be accomplished with the least labor,
no matter if it embraced the best building site in all
the country round; that at present, thousands of
locations are to be found in the country which
would be invaluable if the native forest trees were
only on them but at present they are barren, sun
burnt elevations, shade and soil gone and washed
into guIlies and almost wasteess. But still we have
some groves Of timber left, but not often the
spring. and amore beautiful forest is not to be found
in the world than Tennessee affords. The only thing
to be complained of is that somuch of it should have
been unnecessarily destroyed. To those who have
groves of living native trees my advice is, take
of them, cut not living tree while you can find a
| dead one that win answer the purpose Burn up
the old logs for reWood take up the stumps out of
your ground, and when exposed to the sun and air
few weeks they will make good and lasting res for
tree that you will ever be able to grow will be
equal in beauty and interest to the native forest tree
But the protection of your groves to a considera-
BILE extent depends upon the protection of the birds
who are the safeguards of the forest Worms are
the natural enemies of the trees and vegetation gen.
orally and the birds are the enemies of the worms
and it is with gratitude to Almighty God that we
contemplate this provision, for while the birds are
serving sufficiently by destroying the loathsome
worm that would ultimately poison the tree the bird
itselfis object of interest and highly ornamental
1t is not at all uncommon for persons wholly to
mistake the birds in their feeding process taking it
for granted that they are appropriating something
that is valuable to themselves, because they are
found in its neghbOrhOOd, when, if properly under
stood, they found to be feeding some worm or
insect which is seeking to destroy that which is in
tended for the food of man. Take, for instance, a
case in point gentleman went to his neighbOr to
obtain the loan of his gun, he said, to kill some
birds that were eating up his wheat. The neighbor
said he had no objection to the loan of his gun, but
that he seriously objected to the birds being killed
and insisted that the birds doing good instead
| of harm; controversy ensued between them with
respect to the objects of the Birds till one was killed
in order to determine the matter and on sxamina-
ton the bird had in its craw forty-two worms and
one defective grain of wheat, which had been barred
| by weavel.
One of my neighbors said to me not long since
that certain kind of bird was eating up his bees
but when the object of the bird was better under.
stood it found to be the moths that was eating
which, but for the Birds would have destroyed his
| hive of bees
The birds that gather about the habitatiOn of man
are our friends, our servants, doing for what we
could not do for ourselves, and withal exquisite
| ly beautiful and it is not only bad policy to kill
then but it is really cruel not to say wicked and as
there are persons VINO seem to take pleasure in de-
stroyng these ttle lovely, delicate creatures, which
God has given US to delight the eye and charm the
ear, as well as to protect our forest, want Law
for the benefit of such persons which will teach them
that which good and humanity has failed
them which is, that they must not kill and slay
these creatures for the pleasure of killing, for
| they are of no value when dead.
| More on this subject in my next.
LOVER OF NATURE.