Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-07-16
FARMERS. FRIENDS.
Animals which Aid In tho Destruction o
Injurious Insects.

Animals which Aid In tho Destruction Of
luxurious Insects.
Every farmer should make IL his busi-
ness to ascertain what, in animated
nature, are his friends and what his emo
mics, by so doing ho will be able 10
avoid killing those animals which aid
very much in tho destruction OF insects
injurious to vegetation in both his gar
den and field.
II a skunk should venture iuto tho
corn-ficld or garden to root out few
bugs or worms that are destroying val
liable plants. he Is voted nuisance.
and traps are nt once resofsed TO 60 ex-
terminate what II considered an in
trudcr, and as the skunk is an animal
easily caught he will be very likely to
get into tie trap the first night; th, . tho
farmer destroys one Of his best friends.
Close observers understand that tho
skunk lives almost entirely on bugs
and worms; he is particularly fond OF
cut worms and the large white worms
with rod heads. The latter is often found
in such numbers as TO destroy ali vcge-
table substance, unless dug out In the
spring To do this by human labor
would be almost an impossbllity, but
when the skunks and crows find them
they will in a very short time dig the
ground all over and pick out every
worm. The skunk Is condemned be-
cause he will occasionally eat few
chickens and because OF his odor; but Il
Is not n hundredth part as much work
TO protect the chickens rs il would be
to dig out the worms he would destroy;
and as to the odor, Il is only when the
skunk Is disturbed and his life is in dan
ger. that he uses this very disagrecable
weapon. Let the skunk alone and he
Is no more dIsagreeablo than the do.
mestic cat.
The toad lives on insects and is so
perfectly harmless that farmers ought
to take some measure to protect him
A few toads in the gerden will do more
TO clean out the cut worms than several
men. Since the introduction of Paris
green the toad has had very hard
time OF il. for it is very difficult for him
to decide which bugs have been poi
soucd and which have not; If he eats a
bug full Of Paris green he Is very likely
10 be made sick II he does not die. The
improved harrows and cultivators have
NAL lie the life OF toad much more un-
comfortable, ii 3ot more unce tain.
than when only the V harrow was sold
to pulverze the soil. This danger
seems to be unavoidable, and the future
prospect of the toad is very dark in
deed. With the loss of the toad the
farmer loses one Of his best garden
friends.
Among the birds that may be classed
as the friend Of the farm r the much
dcspiscd crow stands at the head, yet
he is prosecuted and treated rs an out
law; he is hated because he OCCASION
ally pulls up little corn when it gets
few inches high, unless some means
are taken to prevent him; as he is a
timid bird this is easily done; n white
line run around the field, with few
pieces of bright tin hung on it, is a sure
protection to the cora on an ordinary
sized field, on very large field fe'
cross lines may be put up. the lines
be put up before the CT = begin
to pull the corn they will be
very sure to keep the crows away.
The amount of worms and grubs which
a crow wi consume in year is
enormous; any one who doubts this. IL
he will take good field glass and
watch flock Of crows when they are
on the ground, will soon be convinced
that they live pr ncipally on bugs and
worms. Tie swallow is another bird
that lives on insects. many OF which
come from worms that are destructive
to both phnts and fruits. Farmers
would do well to encourage these birds
TO build their meets in sheds about the
barn. When q colony Of swallows once
get established they will be very sure 70
come back TO the same place every sea-
son. The bluebird Is also an insect
eating birl: his voice is Il welcome one.
and II is always hearl in the early
spring-time; he seeks building places
near the dwelling, cs, ecia'ly when en-
couraged to do so by providing good
building places for him. Unfortunate
" the introduction of tho English spar
row bids fair to drive the bluebird
from our homes The blucbird be ng
naturally timid, and the sparrow bold
and defiant, ne often yields to the spar
row even after having built nest II
the farmer would devote tie time to
killing the English sparrow which he
now devo;es to the killing OF skunks
and crows 1t would be spent to more
profit
Farmers should spend more time
studying the habits OF the animals that
live on the farm; il they would, the m s.
take which they now make in killing
their best friends would not occur for
then they would be able to distinguish
their friends from their eneni es, and
coniinc themselves to the killing Of only
their enemies -NassachHsetts Plough
man.