The daily gazette., 1879-10-02
From the N. Y. Sun.
The Farmer, the Gunner, and
the Birds.

The Farm e,', the Gunner, and
the Birds.
The farmer In the country as well as
the gardner near the city observes the
APPROACH OF the shooting season with
shudder. He knows that in few days
hunter will be- abroad in the land, and
that they will be followed by a swarm of
half-grown boys with guns in their
hands, who will pervade every quiet
lane, poke through every copse and
| frighten away the innocent aud useful
birds which they do not destroy He
looks at his quiet herd OF fattening steers.
| and mentally calculates the amount uf
| flesh they will run off when stainpeded
by the fusillaio soon to open around his
peaceful enclosure.
The damage 10 fences, crops, stock and
poultry yards which these depradators
lntiict is a very large item vi loss. But
1t Is nothing In comparison with the ac-
tual loss to the crops from tHe wholesale
| slaughter OF insectlvorous birds. These
to be sure, are protected by law; but the
law is really never enforced. Ii the de-
streying Vagabond be stranger, the
farmer Is afraid to interfere with him
uight II lie is the son of u neigh bor or
resident of the next village, he Will not
incur the dispeasure uf his family by a
prosecution And so the birds sUfieI in
myrads, and the worms aud insects
come down unopposed upon the gro wing
crops and fruit; aud the aggregate dam
age would he appalling If II could posi-
bly, be asceItained in figures.
1t has been gravely asserted by men
who have given the subject serious and
patient study that the locust aud grass.
hopper pests, which, from time to tune
. devastate some of our Western States
anu territories, are due u the wholssal.
destruction of the game. birds of The
Rocky Mountain slopes and the Mis-.
, sssippi Valley. Professor Riley, the
State Entomologist uf Missouri
declared that one grouse would IN sea.
son consume eggs and Larvae of locusts
enough. II hatched out, TO destroy the
crops upon one hundred acres of land.
These birds are the guards which ma.
ture has set over the ii Ids, and we
mi ght as well poison the soil as to re-
move. them trom.their appointed work
And what the grouse is To the Western
, farmer the beautiful Virginia partridg,
is TO the Eastern-fnr it comes in mum
bers proportloned To the fields sowu an,
- taken as the recompense Of It's guardian
ship OF the young crops only the scat
t5rtd grains Of tue harvest. Even tn,
I unghnly crow has at length found favo
f III The eyes OF The husbandman. He pay
for the lew grains he steals from the firs
u planting by an iuceSsaut warfare upol
n countless unseen enemies of the corr
But these are not all. The trees, th
u hedges, aud the grass are alive wit
e smaller birds which contribute thei
., share TO the security of field AMI orchard
u" and which are swept away in multitude
II by the foolish gunners who intest I'll
N country from the first OF October to til
first OF January.
Al But there is no remedy? None eXcey
pt the rigid enforcement OF the law. Fc
various REASONS, farmers will not do
y themselves, and sportsmen's Association
AZ are too few and far between We su
~ gest, therefore, that associations of De
~ sons Interested either i'll the presery
Al ton OF the sport or Of the game
80, formed i'll each county. Let them se,
- the farmers aud get them to agree th
It's none but members OF the ASSOCIATE,
od shall shoot on their lands. In return
this the association shall agree that the
're shall be no shooting out of season, a
be no shooting OF any but game birds; a
49,. it shall further agree to prosecute Wig
" ou-ly every person found trespassing
ri the farmers land, and also to bear I
,c- charges OF local advertising warm
Unauthorized gunners away. The e
chequer OF the association would
les easily kept in condition by an admissi
j., tee and small annual tribute, whi
I'LL would give the paying member I
ms privilege of shooting on all lands C,
L trolled by that body.
The advantages Of such plan, both
nts farmer and sportsman, are very or
r.- and very obvious. We commend il
their consideration.