Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-07-11

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Shall! we Kill the Birds!
ny PETER NJ. GIDEON, EXCELSIOR, MI

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Shall we kill the birds? was askct
not long since by n correspondent o
the Pomo'oylst, who had lost heavily
in grapes by their depredations,--
Were l in his place, ana the amount
too small to afford person to keep
guard and scare them away, | should
cover with mosquito bar; but tc
kill, never-other than crows OF
hackbirds. Birds are more nnmcr
GUS about our premises than any
other farm within my knowledge
The reason IS, we don't disturb
them; they will gather fruit from
the same tree with us, and often
within arms length. SO many Sum
mers have they spent with ms that
their tamencss is often surprising
The blue jays, as all others, are at
home with lis; and feed on what they
will, We never harm them. Have
been an admirer of the bird from a
boy, and noted well their habits;
and that they rob and kill other
birds, rs some have charged, is 4
mistake. There is small hawk that
very closely resembles the jay in
size, color and in cry; but the jay has
straight bill, and the other q
hooked bill, like other hawks, and
will kill birds as large rs themselves.
Jay hawk is a proper name, but
many apply the term to the blue jay,
which is as harmless d Bird as any
that flies, and few, il any, are OF
;aore benefit to the farmer, yet none
more relentlessly slaughtered. Even
tor eating little corn, many farmers
shoot them, forgetting that the III.
sects they had destroyed through
the season had saved in his various
crops more than a hundred times the
worth OF corn they eat, and, if let
alone, would repeat the saving
year after year. Even the black
birds that nest in our vicinity we
don't disturb; only those that are
that come in large tlocks,
and reluctantly shoot amongst them,
and as little as possible, to drive
them away Farmers and fruit grow
ers should encourage all species of
birds to nest in their vicinity; the
benefit therctrom is incalculable.-
Were the birds all swept from ex-
istcnce at once, it would be no hard
matter to conjecture what would he
the fate of farm and fruit crops in
the course of few years. Self-in-
tcrest, if nothing more, should
prompt all persons to spare the
birds.
But were birds of no pccuniary in
terest to mankind, their songs alone
would repay Tor all damages done
fruit and farm crops. The charm
they have for the eye, ard the rap.
ture TO the ear, are retinements that
tell on the social natures of all who
see them sport or hear their warbl
ing songs. The boy that can reck-
lessly shoot a little ieathered song
ster merely for sport, betrays void
of youthful taste and sympathy, that
if unchecked may one day sport with
human aeonies. But were the she'll
knocked off the full grown man, or
what should be man, tina. is found
killing little birds, and his principle
in form exhibited to sight, it would
make YOU shudder, though you had
the beast in an iron cage. Next to
lie song of an angel sister IS that OF
a harmless bird, and he who would
kill the one for eating cherry would,
il he could. strip the other naked and
sell her robes for a shilling. o. all
creation, perhaps the hog has least
love for the beautiful and less ear for
music; and thereby We can take
measurement :or the soul OF the man
that shoots the painted songaters to
save cherry or grain of corn-the
hog can appreciate food. Could
such principles be barrelled up, the
pork market would be glutted.-
But as 1t is, when the principle kicks
itself out OF the shell, q leg is loose
on its own heofs, and only knows
itself as it feels the hog principle
throb within. But how long l can
not tell, ere Heavens flowers and
angel sisters songs will break Il 6
spell, and charm the boots and snout
into human form. If you would
save the fruit and enhance your farm
crops, prote ct the birds; and, it you
would refine, cherish leve for them,
and impress the same upon your
children.-[ Uestern Pomo.ogist.