The Penn's Grove record., 1893-09-15
PERSISTENCE OF PESTS
they Thrive n Increase While DesirsoD
Creatures Grow Fewer

Creatures Grow Fewer
From the sowing and planting o.
his seed, almost, indeed from On'
turning OF the furrow, the farmei
enters mon a contest with the weeds
for a place in which his crops ma!
grow, and il he or the crops are MOI
| vanouished, as the weeds never are,
the warfare continues till harVes'
time.
While he. with infinite labor, pre-.
parcs the ground and sows his seq
with all care, praying that drouth
may not wither nor floods drown IT,
and that frosts may not cut downt n
tender plants, the winds OF heaven
and the fowls of the air scatter broad
cast the seeds Of the noxlous weeds,
or they lie dormant in the ground
awaiting opportunity, and then they
terminate in sterile places, fence cor,
ners and hooks of the wayside, and
flourish alike in scorching sunshine
md in sodden soil.
They defy the latest and the earlf
st frosts, grow with their roots IN
he air; and cut down, spring up
row on, blossoming and ripcnine
heir seed in creeping stealth ano
even unscathcd by blight; and SO
flourish in spite of all unkindliness OF
man or stress Of nature, that the
husbandman wishes they might by
some freak of demand become the
useful nIants. his present crop the
undcsired ones.
Somewhat Of the position that
weeds stand opposed to the plants
which the husbandman depends up q
for his livelihood, vermin hold toward
the beasts and birds, upon which the
sportsman depends for his recreation
While they whose protection men
.ndeavor to maintain during the sea
son of procreation, and at times when
scarcity Of food prevails, decrease Of
ten to complete extinction, the YER
min, whom the hand of man is al
ways against, continue to increase
and multiply or at least hold thelI
own.
To them as to the weeds natur,
seems to deal 4 kinder hand, and
spares, even nourishes, while she de
'troys their bettcrs.
The snow crust, that walls the
quail in a living tomb, makes a royal
banqueting hall for the pestiferous
field mice, where they feast and revel
in plenty, secure from all their enc
mics, feathered or furry. 1t impounds
the deer, but gives free range to the
wolf and to his as pitiless two-legget
brother, the crust hunter.
The wet seasons that drown the
woodcock and grouse work nc
larm to the ravenous brood of the
hawk and owl, nor to the litter OF
mink or weasel. Wet or dry
rot or cold, the year fosters them
! lroughout its varied round.
Winged ticks kill the grouse, but
The owl endures their companionshiE
With sedate serenity and thriyes with
swarm of the parasites in the covert
4 his feathers.
The skunk has been in bad odo,
iince mans first acquaintance with
lin, and has always been killed on
light as a pest that the world be the
weeter for being rid of. In latter
ears the warfare against him has re. |
eiyed an impetus from the value Of
lis fury, but though this has gone on
elentlessly for a q%uarterofa century, |
+ more, his tribe still live TO load
he air with a fragrance that inciIef
ambitious trapper to further con
uest.
All the year round all the farmer
nd their boys wage war upon the
rows, but each returning autumn
ees the columns of the black army
southwark with apparently
nthinned ranks, while year by year, |
he harried platoons of ducks and
eese return fewer and less frequent.
Those detested foreigners, the En-,
lish sparrows, increase and multiply
spite of bitter winters and right.
Gus persecution, while Jul natives, |
he beloved song birds, diminish IL
Iumbers.
Thus on every hand we find the I'm
.esirable In animated nature, the
,irds and beasts that we would gladl,
G rid of, maintaining their numbers
While those who increase we desir, |
re losing ground and tending TOWARD
extinction.
The prospect for the sportsman O,
he future Is indeed gloomy, unlesI |
le shall make game Of the pests ant
a hunter Of skunks and
hooter of crows and sparrows. Whe
an say that a hundred years hcnc,
he leading sportmen of the period
will not be ~wrangling over the polnt,
md merits Of their skunk and wood
buck dogs and Dragging of their bagi
# crows and sparrows?-Forest anf
,troam |