The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-07-10
FARMERS. FRIENDS.
Animals Which Aid in the Destruction Cd
Injurious Insects.


Injurious Insects.
Every farmer should make it his busi-
ness to ascertain what, in animated
nature, are his friends and what his ene-
mics; By so doing he will be able to
AVOID killing those animals which aid
very much in the destruction OF insects
injurious to vegetation in both his gar
den and field.
If q skunk should venture into the
Hcorn-held or garden to root out few
bugs or worms that are DESTROYING val
liable plants, he is voted a nuisance,
and traps are at once resorted TO to ex-
terminate what is considered an in
truder, and as the skunk is an animal
easily caught he will be very likely to
get into the trap the first night; thu the
farmer destroys one of his best friends.
Close observers understand that the
skunk lives almost entirely on bugs
and worms; he is particularly fond of
cut worms and the large white worms
with red heads. The latter is often found
in such numbers as to destroy all vege-
table substance, unless dug out in the
spring. To do this by human labor
would be almost an impossibility, but
when the skunks and crows find them
they will in very short time dig the
ground all over and pick out every
worm. The skunk is condemned be-
cause he will occasionally eat a few
chickens and because of his odor; but it
is not hundredth part as much work
70 Oh. oIv - 4.
to dig out the worms he would destroy;
and as to the odor, it is only when the
skunk is disturbed and his life is in dam
ger. that he uses this very disagreeable
weapon. Let the skunk alone and he
is no more disagreeable 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 garden 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 it, for it is very difficult for him
to decide which bugs have been poi
soned and which have not; if he eats a
bug full of Paris green he is very likely
to be made sick if he does not die. The
improved harrows and cultiyators have
made the life of toad much more I'M
comfortable, if cot more uncertain,
than when only the V harrow was sold
to pulverize 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 farmer the much
despised crow stands at the head, vet
he is prosecuted and treated as 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; a white
line run around the field, with few
pieces of bright tin hung on it, is sure
protection to the corn on an ordinary
sized field, on very large field few
cross lines may be put up. If the lines
be put up before the crows begin
to pull the corn they will be
very sure to keep the crows away.
The amount of worms and grubs which
crow viii consume in year is
enormous; any one who doubts this, if
he will take q good field glass and
watch flock of crows when they are
on the ground, will soon be convinced
that they live principally on bugs and
worms. The swallow is another bird
that lives on insects, many of which
come from worms that are destructive
to both plants and fruits. Farmers
would do well to encourage these birds
to build their nests in sheds about the
barn. When a colony of swallows once
get established they will be very sure to
come back to the same place every sea-
son. The bluebird is also an insect
eating bird: his voice is welcome one,
and it is always heard in the early
spring-time; he seeks building places
near the dwelling, especially when en-
couraged to do SO by providing good
building places for him. Unfortunate
ly the introduction OF the English spar
row bids fair to drive tho bluehird
from our homes. The blucbird being
naturally timid, and the sparrow bold
and defiant, he often yields to the spar
row even after having built a nest If
the farmer would devote the time to
killing the English sparrow which he
now devotes to the killing of skunks
and crows it would be spent to more
profit.
Farmers should spend more time
studying the habits of the animals that
live on the farm; if they would, the mis-
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 enemies. and
contine themselves to the killing Of only
their enemies. Massachusetts Plough