Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-08-14
For the CHRONICLE.
Save the Birds or Suffer the Conse-
nunlfaS.


quenees.
The wanton destruction of prairie
chickens in the Northwest is avenged
by the ravages of the grasshoppers.
and the indiscriminate slaughter of
song birds ia this section, has increased
tenfold, the mischief done by ctu-
worms, and borers, and other depre-..
dators of the. field, orchard and gar
den.' Messrs. Editors the foregoing
appeared in your paper of the 10Th OF
june, and it is 50 very true that it will
certainly do no harm to publish it
again. Thirty years ago onecould not
walk amid the fields or ride upon the
public highways without being able to
see and hear hundreds of beautiful
birds flying from place to place, or
warbliDg their CHEEKY notes among the
trees of the forest on the road sides.
We were often even awakened in the
early Spring mornings, by the sweet
songs of birds around our dwellings.
How is it now? We may travel for
miles upon the highways aud neversee
bird; or go from one end Of our
farm to the other, and not see one.
How was it with the crops then? and
how is it now? Then, just so certain
as the farmer planted and properly
cultivated his crops his yield was
abundant and be had plenty, not only
for himself, but for the towns and
cities throughout the country. His
young fruit trees, when he planted
them, grew strong and vigorous, and
without other care than cultivation
and keeping the stock from them, soon
yielded him fruits, an hundred fold.
| But very few of the many millions Of
insects and worms that now destroy
everything 10 the way of crops and
vegetation, aud cause to wither and
die, our cherished fruit trees, were
then known on the American con-
tinent. How is 1T now? We may
plant and replant until it is too late to
plant, and then frequently do not get
a good stand owing to the ravages OF
the terrible cut-worm. Then comes
the destroying army worm, the grass
hopper and every other conceivable
insect of destruction, taking what the
cut-worm has permitted to grow, and
we are entirely powerless to prevent
it. To the wanton and wholesale de-
struction of birds we are compelled to
attribute very much Of our troubles
arising out of the destruction Of our
crops by worms and insects. This is
very serious subject and should be
well considered, both by the farmer
and those who are not farmers, for all
must get their living from the products
of the farm, or not get it at all. Strin-
gent laws should be enacted and firmly
enforced against the further destruc-
ton of any kinds of birds Except those
of prey. and every sensible person
should do all he can to prevent the
killing of them, law or no law. The
lazy loafng fellow who can find moth
ing better, at all times, to do, than to
go hunting and shoot or otherwise de-
stroy innocent birds, (no matter what
kind) that aid in keeping our fields
and orchards clear of the destroying
insects, should be looked upon with
contempt by all good people, and be a
fit subject for the vagrant act, it mat
tiers not whether he is rich or poor.
For several years past insects have
been becoming more troublesome I'M
til with sober, thinking people, the
thing begins to look serious, and in my
opinion, we must either preserve and
protect our birds, and the small rem
nant left of our forests, or before
another thirty years rolls around feel
the effects of plaques and famines
similar to those of ancient Egypt dur
ing the times of the Pharoahs. Mark
the prediction. g &. S.
| st. Bethlehem, Tenn, Aug. Z, 1875.