Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-08-29
MANY USEFUL BIRDS.
PEOPLE HAVE A WRONG IDEA OF
THE VALUE OF THE BlPeDS.

harsh or sweet, will ever kill singing
bird. Thousands Of birds that are OF In
sstimable value to the farmer, as well as to
the town dweller who grows fruit or keeps
n garden, are slaughtered annually in the
summer boarder" district near New YORK
by city visitors, both young and old, sim
ply because these bird killers do not know
the value of the birds they put out OF the
way.
Farmers boys are also guilty of destroy
ing many of their feathered friends, with
out reproach from their parents, for the
same reason - few farmers themselves
knowing, or at least recognizing, the great
amount of benefit that certain birds are
not only willing but anxious to confer on
the country II they are only let alone.
The farmer and fruit grower should
know more about the birds that nest and
sing and fit about their premises, for then
they would be willing to defend and pro
tect them, and in time have them back III
something like their old time numbers
and variety. How often does one see the
saucy, sweet voiced, nervous little wren
nowadays2 IL a few years ago was seen
and heard everywhere, but 1t must be
favored locality that it visits now. Yet
the little wren was most ravenous de-
vourer of the pestlferous cutworm OF the
gardens, and did great work toward les
sening the damage done by that pest.
The bright little bluebird clears the air
and the ground of thousands OF codllng
moths and canker worms during season,
yet farmers boys are permitted to rob It's
nests with impunity and chase 1t from field
10 field in efforts to kill it. The crow
blackbird has no peace, yet Hook OF these
birds will clear in short time newly
plowed field of all its hosts Of destructive
Larvae that the pillow has turned up.
A PLEA FOR THE CROW.
The great American crow would do the
same If it wasn't for the inevitable man
with gun who wants the crow TO try III
once. Neither the blackbird nor the crow
care as much for corn as they do for gruos,
and If the farmer would scatter corn about
| his field instead of putting up scarecrows
and the like those useful birds would never
| pull up a hill Of his planting. The chances
are, anyhow, that If the farmer will take
the trouble to examine hill OF young
corn that he charges the crow with pulling
up he will find that it was cut off by a
grub, and that the crow was after the grub,
not the corn.
The robin, it cannot be denied, is a sore
trial to the man who has fruit trees, but II
he will stop and think of the thousands
upon thousands Of ravaging insects that
are especial enemies Of his trees that the
robin destroy both before the fruit has
ripened and for weeks after it has gone, he
will not grudge the bird the few quarts OF
cherries or berries it demands as partial
payment for its services. The same may
be said of the thrushes, cherry birds, orr
oles, bluejays and many Others Of that
class. These birds never levy tribute IL
the least on the grain farmer, but they dt
him untold good.
= The climbing birds are the different va
rieties Of woodpecker, and they are con
stantly befriending growing things. When
ever a woodpecker is heard tapping on
, tree it IS the death knell of the Larvae o
, some destructive insect. Yet it is not al
- uncommon thing to see the very person
= for whom this bird is industriously a
I work following with his gun the flash o
y the birds red head from tree to tree unit
the opportunity comes for him to send
load Of shot into the unsuspecting feat b
cred philanthropist II is the pet belle
n among the farmers that the woodpeckt
o kills the trees he works on, and that be
r working for that purpose.
1t is a fact that the common little sal
sucker does injure trees, but the WOO
pecker never Quite the contrary. tt
white breasted nuthateh and the grs
creeper-so generally oonfOuDded with Il
sapsucker-live exclusively on tree insect
yet the nuthatch is in bad favor anon
many farmers, as they believe II eats the
trees.
|. THEY HELP THE FARMER
The meadow lark is another bird that
given little peace on any ones land, 4
there is a mistaken notion abroad that th
bird is a game bird. He is game in u
quality of being alert and hard to get
shot at, but Is no more entitled to be
t. classified than the flicker or the highhold
is. The meadow lark is a constant feed
4 ON underground Larvae, and whenever
- Is disturbed he is simply driven away fro
j. active work in Kidding the ground of {
l. worst kind of farm pests. The bluej
s. may be said to be indirectly an enemy
the farmer as well as n friend, for it
stroys largely the eggs Of birds that
III only good to the farmer.
le IL there Is one bird that the farmer loy
to do all in his power to exterminate me
" than he does the crow, unless it may be t
"a hawk, that bird Is the owl And IL
a
use 1t as many times during his vacati
We as he can on owls or hawks. Fortunate
y, the occasion that either one Of these biz
presents for the benefit of the man will
.r gun are few and far between.
H. The farmer can't be brought 70 belle
that IL 1t were not for the owls and
hawks his fields would be overrun a
" burrowed by field mice to such an exts
he that his crops would be in perpetual d.
On ger; that owls while out housing, feed
myriads of night flying moths and beetl
10. thus preventing the laying Of milli'
H. upon millions of the eggs OF these insec
he and that they not only keep the field m
at down, but lessen the number of domes
mice and rats about barns and outhou
TO an extent that small army OF C
~ could not equal.
%. As to the hawk, the farmer rememb
slo that on some occasion hawk carried
~ one Of his chickens, and therefore the {
IN that the big bird daily kills many fl
mice, grasshoppers, snakes, lizards, beef
and other vermin cannot be set up In
n defense. The proportion Of hawks that
'n1 chickens IL no more In number, RELATIVE
or than is that of maneating tigers.-N
IN York Recorder