The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-02
The Vienna Exhibition Makes an
Appeal to the World.
THE "eREEN INTERNATioMAls."
Congress of Land and Forest
Culturists.
PROTECTION OF USEFUL BIRDS.


The 'sGreen internationally" is term which will
not be understood by an American at first glance.
He knows OF the so-called "Black" and the RED"
Internationals, but "green" is a newly created
term which the Vienna Exhibition has brought
forth. 1t is used by the Vienna journals to desg
nate the members OF the International Land and
Forest Cultural Congress, which was held in
the Jury Hall. In the Prater, from the 10th to
the 25th OF September. We have had innumerable
congresses In Vienna since May last; some have
proved successful, others iascOed-as for instance,
the Congress on the Patent question, where the
Austrian and Swiss patent ireebooters carried the
day, and Mr.. Thacher was unable to make any I'M
preston on very one-sided company. There have
been congresses OF max growers, OF pomologlsts
Of yarn spinners, of shoemakers, OF talors, Of
coinage men, and also an International
METEOROLOGICAL CONGRESS,
at which General Myer, Chief Signal Oflcer Of the
United States Army and special delegate from
Washington, proposed q most valuable resolution,
which was unanimously passed, to the effect that
It is desirable that at least observation of such
character Is suitable the Of syIop
many stations as practicable throughout the world
The present method Of each country taking its
observations according to its own time will be
superseded by al observations being made at the
same moment at all meteorological stations. The
European mcCeOEOiOBlStS warmly 6uppOCICO tnc
proposition, and spoke Of the advantage the pub
lication Of these observations would be to Europe,
in view OF the prevailing tendency of the currents
from west to east With the introduction Of this
new method Of observation General Myer thinks
that meteorology first begins to master its mate
rial He hopes to be enabled to publish nom the
new observations synoptic charts for the whole
world, instead OF, as now, tor America alone.
THE "aREEN INTERNATIoNALs."
To the Congress Of Land and Forest Culturists
we have no very telling representative. We re-
gret very much the failure Of our Agricultural De-
partment at Washington to see the vast lmpor-
lance OF this gathering to Us and to appreciate the
great lessons we can learn from these men here
assembled. When the Germans talk about patent
laws and the rights OF inventors we do not care to
listen to them; but when they get on subjects they
understand they are very instructive and edifytng
takers. Now the Germans-especally the Prus-
sians-have given for many decades q very careful
attention to the culture of their forests, knowing
their vast influence on climate soil, the rainfall
and health. And when they talk on such sub
)ect they deserve consideration. They have also
given much attention Of late years to the
preservation of their useful birds, and this
is q question which Is Of considerable In
terest to US. These two questions alone are of
suficient vital importance to our agricultural and
other interests to have justified the sending OF
special delegate who could have spoken to the
Congress and told them what we are doing and
what we want to do. As 1t was We had a delegate
from some genealogical society in Ohio, who,
with all his happy personal qualities, was not able
to take any active part in the Congress- The sub
iects which the Congress discussed are as fol-
lows
J. The Protection of Useful Birds; by the Swiss Minister
in Vienna, Won Tschude.
q Agricultural statistics; by Ministerial Councillor
s. Agricultural Experimental Stations; by Dr. zoller
T. Forest experimental stations; by Professor Baron
The Protection of the Forests; by DR.. Bernhardt.
On these subjects great number OF eminent
men OF Germany spoke, including the naturalist,
DR.. Brehm, Professor Haberiandt, M. Barrai, Paris;
DR.. Landoll, Zurich; senator Torelli. Rome and
Others The programme for the Congress also in
Guided number of excursions to various estates
and forests IN the vicinity OF Vienna. and good
number OF banquets, luncheOns &C.. which similar
bodies generally indulge in.
THE PROTECTION OF USEFUL BIRDS.
The first day OF the Congress was devoted princt.
pally to discussion of the question, "What meas
ures should be adopted for the protection Of useful
birds S' 1t IS question which has become one OF
vital Importance to European land and forest cu.
turists since in many countries areas Of crops
and forests have been ruined by the devastations
caused by clouds OF insects, such as chafers and
moths, by caterplars, by mice and the hundred
other species Of vermin which multiply to an en0r-
nous extent when their natural enemies, the
BIRDS are not on hand. / remember some years
ago travelling through the forests OF the Hartz
Mountains, and my attention was attracted
in certain district of the forest to
the fact that the trees had already lost their
foliage, although we were only in early summer.
Looking nearer found the ground and the trees
covered by millions millions OF may chafers, all
busy at the work OF devastation. On inquiring OF
an old forester to the causes Of this phcnom-
epa he informed me that the chafers develop In
such vast numbers once in three years and that
the birds OF the forest had been destroyed BY the
birdcatchers to such an extent as to disturb the
equilibrium in natural life which is usually found
where Nature herself has the care Of her domains.
We have all heard that story about Frederick H.,
of Prussia. One day he was walking along the ter
race at Sans SOuci and noticed that his beau
THU, large grapes were suffering severely
under the appetites of the sparrows. Enraged
at the impudent thieves he offered price for their
heads and in a few weeks there was not q single
sparrow in the royal gardens. In the following
year. however, not single grape ripened, and the
Prussan monarch found that soon as the spar
rows disappeared the grubs caterpillars and snais
began to commit their depredations unmolested,
and the King found out that although the spar
rows were great thieves, their useful qualities lar
more than c0unterbalanced their bad ones. He re-
pealed his former edct, and since that time spar
rows and grapes have prospered abundantly AT
Sans Souci.
INTERNATIONAL LAWS.
This is pretty little story, and with many people
may tell further than long essay on the useful
ness OF birds Cases could be adduced 10y the score
of the usefulness OF many species OF birds TO agri-
culture and the losses to field and forest that have
been caused through their wanton slaughter. But
imagine that enough has been said at home OF
the little leathered strangers whose dwelling
houses nsed to be fixed IN the trees in Union
square ana in Central PARK, and that most OF our
farmers are impressed with the TACT OF the neces-
sity there Is OF protecting those birds which are
| useful IN keeping down offensive vermin. II not,
the results oil this International Congress should be
sufficient to do. Here in Vienna the great agri-
| culturists bOrticulturists, forest-cultursts and
| 0rnitnoioglsts nave come TO unanimous
| decision not only that useful birds are
| necessity to agricultural prosperity, but that
international laws must be e5abli she'd so that the
wanton destruction OF the migratory usefui pirds
| be prohibited. Take for instance the lark, very
/ nqef IN earneSt