The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-10-19
The SparrOws.

WASHINGTON, October 17.-Msterial
$ largely in hand in the newly organi-
zed division of Economic Oynithoiogy
Of the department of Agriculture, for
series of Bulletins upon the relations
~ several common species OF birds II
this country to agriculture. The EVIL
depce collected will have strong tend
ency in some cases to upset the widely
prevalent notions respecting the habits
and values OF certain birds; in others 10
lead to an organized effort for the miti-
CATION. or ext ctiC n Of pests which
DrIng destruction 10 valuable branches
of agriculture. In the latter category
DR.. g. II. Merr am, head OF the division,
places the English sparrows as the
Chief. This herd was imported with
flourish of praise some years ago, as an
agent for the protection Of shade trees
from the ravages of the caterpillar, inch
worms, and other creeping things, ana
has so multiplied and developed among
the new surroundings as TO become a
vastly greater scourge than the one II
was expected to counteract. Its IN
crease is enormous, and the new terri
tory which it invades is estimated at
more than 10000 square miles
annually. 1t is essentially q town
bird. nesting, almost exclusively about
and upon projections of buildings, but
it takes long vacations during the fruit
growing seasons and Wreaks its faTlDacl-
Gus appetite upon the largest and juiciest
of grapes and daintiest of tree fruits, IL
which work of destruction its aggregate
OF damages is almost incompatible.
How best to prevent its further increase
and curtail its rav.ng prOpensitles is an
unsolved problem. 1t may be shot or
poisoned, or il may be despOiied OF its
nest, but neither plan promises perma-
nent relief. The estimated annual loss
to rice planters from the depredations
Of this bird is between $1,000, 600 and
$1,000, 600. DR.. Merriam recently spent
some time IN the rice fields OF South
Carolina for the purpose Of studying
the habits of the bird, and OF expert
menting as to its depredatiOns. He
found planters making their usual
heroic efforts and with partial success
to save their crops. For illustration, a
field of 200 res,required the employ
ment of more than fifty men and boys,
their duly morning and evening being
to create such hubbub with guns and
other noise-prodHcing implements as
would prevent the birds from settling
upon this particular field and scare
them over to those Of their neighbour,
where similar din was in process for
a like purpose. DR.. Merriam thinks
that single hawk trained as were the
falcons with which sportsmen of the
middle ages amused themselves would
be an effective protection to q rice field
of zoe acres. II is probable that an ex-
pertinent in this direction will be tried,
if person of sufficient experience in
the training of the bird can be found to
undertake it. With regard to our idi-
geneous bird of prey, hawks and owls,
for the killing of which Pennsylvania
and perhaps other s. ates pay a pre-
MUM, DR.. Merriam and Ornithologists
are convinced that their services are of
great value to the farmer. No more
than three out of upwards of thirty of
The species prey upon domestic fowl and
even these more than remunerate the
armers by killing field mice.