The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-11
WAR ON ENGLISH spARRows.
he New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
Years ago when the small English
sparrow was imported into this coun-
try to destroy the insects and worms
that attack garden plants there was
great rejoicing in the rural districts
and the prediction was made that the
birds would keep down the pests so eff
fectually as to make life worth living
to the farmers and fruit growers But
after nearly quarter of century the
birds are hooted at on every side, de-
stroyed by thousands, made homeless
By indignant householders, and met
with unfriendly repulses everywhere.
State and national laws have been en-
acted to reduce their numbers, and
even TO exterminate them utterly.
The ornithologist of the agricultural
department at Washington has recent
~ issued another manifesto against
the sparrows, giving minute directions
for their destruction. Several years
ago opinions concerning them were
gathered by the department Every
body almost said that the sparrows did
more harm than good, and that gen.
eral crusade should be organized
against the little pests. Since then
almost annual bulletins have been is
sued relative to the habits of the birds
and the methods of destroying them
State bulletins have also come to the
help of the national department, and a
general opposition against the birds
existence in this country has been
stirred up by these persistent attacks
The state of Illinois offered bounty
of two cents head for all dead spar
rows, and at one time as many as one
thousand five hundred dead sparrows
were offered in a single day. This
wholesale slaughter of the little birds
does not seem to lessen the numbers
materially. The rate of increase among
them is enormous-greater perhaps
than among any other known bird
The recent bulletin issued by the
agricultural department says that one
of the best ways to destroy the spar
rows is to pull down their nests with
the eggs and young in them, and that
fully ninety per cent. of the nests can
be reached with long pole with a
hook on the end. The birds as rule
nest under the cornices of the house,
piazza, or among the masses Of jap
anese or English ivy that decorates the
sides of houses, churches, and public
buildings. If the nests cannot be
reached with long pole stream Of
water played from the one-inch nozzle
of hose pipe will be effectual in caus-
ing destruction to the homes of the
birds Systematic and concerted ac-
ton is recommended by the ornitholo-
gist of the agricultural department, and
it is even suggested that the birds
should be made popular as toothsome
and nutritious game birds for the
table. When properly cooked it is hard
to distinguish their meat from that Of
the favorite rice birds, it is asserted.
This last recommendation has been
made before, and the advice has been
needed in way not altogeter salts
factory to the department 1t is said
that on the banks of the Kaw river,
two miles above Lawrence, Kan, q
sparrow farm has been established by
a man whose chief business is to sup
ply the market demand for sparrows.
He supplies the tables of many hotels
in Chicago, st. Louis, Kansas City, and
other places with fat, plump sparrows
that readily pass as rice birds or reed
birds according to the season. Near
his farm along the river banks grow
many wild weeds that produce seeds Of
which the sparrows are very fond, and
the cost of feeding his numerous hocks
is very little. Bird houses and cheap
wooden structures have been erected
on the farm SO that the birds can build
their nest and raise their numerous
broods without fear of molestation.
Thousands of sparrows have accumu-
lated on the farm, and although enor-
nous quantities are shipped to market
every season the supply keeps steadily
up. He practically controls the mar
ket and ships his birds only when
the demand is good and prices remuner-
alive.
Meanwhile the sparrows increase in
numbers all over the country, invading
new territory at the rate of thirty
thousand square miles year. A few
friends scattered here and there lift up
a voice in their favor occasionally.
The humane societies deprecate the
laws which encourage children and
older people TO rob the nests of the
sparrows, and TO kill the birds with
stones or shotguns. The laws are said
to be Internationally vicious.
1T sets lot of children TO work to
devise the destruction of innocent liv-
ing creatures" says the president of
the Illinois Humane society. mo one
who has the interests of the coming
generation at heart can fail TO view
with alarm this new method of educat-
ing children to take pleasure in de-
struction and murder"
Some farmers and fruit growers offer
evidence in favor of the birds. claim
ing that they do very little harm to
fruits, vegetables, or grains, and that
the determination of the sparrows
would bring great disaster upon the
farms of the country They think that
there would be a return of the inch
worms and other insects which to-day
are kept down il numbers by these
birds
A similar crusade has been conducted
against the sparrow in England, and
some Of the war1nest friends of birds
there unhesitatingly declare them
selves in favor of the final extermina-
ton of this creature, especially in the
rural districts While the sparrows do
some good in destroying noxious in
sects their evil habits more than coun-
terbalance the benefits The English
farmers are almost unit in declaring
that the sparrows destroy tons OF