The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-01-18
A PIoa For The Birds.

1 have read q good deal about tho
damage done in late years by chinch
bugs, army worms, curculio, borers inc
other insects "too numerous to men
tom" but few of the writer's seom to
think or DO conscious of the roal reason
for the increasing number and harmful
ness of these pests. But we do not have
to 90 far to find tho reason, and it is
found in the widespread and outrageous
destruction of our birds. Think of tho
enormous number Of small birds re-
quircd to deck ladies' hats nowadays;
and of tho ruined crops of hundreds of
farmers and fruit growers in the United
States, and ask if the latter is not tho
result of tho former. Of course it is; no
one will or can dispute it. What is to
be donep Something; and no time
should be lost in doing it. Tho Amcri-
can Humane Society is, l think, doing
q good work in this direction, and
would in time blot out the b~ird-killing
business, especially rs an adjunct TO the
millinery trade of the country; but it
cannot work n reform soon enough 10
satisfy the pressing necessities Of tho
agricultural interests. We must appeal
raising of myriads OF insects to destroy
WIG Shopo "a Iho III Iva HkS"Ot
and market gardener.
do not think q law against catching
birds would do much good, for it would
not be enforced; but l think Al law pro-
hibiting millincrs, both Wholesale and
retail, from handling these ghostly orna-
ments would have the desired effect, and
with such q law we M 5ht, in time, have
our birds as plentiful and useful as they
were a few years ago, before this bloody
war on them began.
But small birds are not the only in
sect eaters that are being extcrminatod
for frivolous purposes. Tho prairie
chickens are falling by tho thousand by
tho ruthless hand Of the market shooter
that vile blot upon the human race;
cruel as a tiend; grasping as a misor;
lazy rs n sloth; brainless as an idiot, and
for harmfulness ranking next to the
devil himself. Why allow this low-livod
specimen of humanity to ply his das-
tardly and destructive work under tho
very nose of the farmer he is injuringP
Why not send him to the poorhousc.
asylum or penitcntiary, where he could
be kept with much less expense to tho
farmers, who arc now supporting himp
But here is n point that puzzles me.
Is it the shot, the blood, tho broken
bones. or tho feathers, that makes prai-
RE chicken meat such q delicacyp II
tame fowl werc brought on tho table in
tho condition in which tho prairie
chicken is usually served, it would DO
considered entirely unfit to cat; 80 ]
don't think tho ~cpicurcan public would
lose much if prairie chicken shooting
should be prohibited by law the year
round, for At least five years, and longer
If the birds were not plentiful enough ut
the end OF that time. | think there
would be little or no objection to such
n law. Every sportsman in the Unitod
States would like 1t, and of course every
farmer would commend it; ovcn the
market shooter would endorse it IL he
had brains enough to comprehend its
advantages, for now he can hardly earn
fifty cents a day, owing to the scarcity
of game, while five years of this law
would be likely to leave % flock OF tho
birds on every ten-acrc lot. Don't say
they would injurc the crops then; surely
no candid person can think that. From
April lst TO July 18th there is 10 grain
for them to get, SO during that time
they are waging o war of cxtcrmina-
ton upon Il great many kinds OF harm
ful insects, and whom the grain does
come they still prefer insects for the
most Of their food, and only pick n little
grain to season tho insects that, but for
them, would do moro damage on an
acre than the birds would do on ten.
Then the grain is harvested inside Of
two weeks aftor it becomes eatablo for
them, when they liaYc to fall back on
insects again.
Now here is n chance for some law
maker 10 cover himself all over with
glory. Who will come to the front and
save the farmers crops from the ravages
of insects, and tho birds from the mcrci-
less huH,orP-L. Il. WcBr00m, in Form,
Stock and tonne.