St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-02-16
WAR ON ENGLISH sPARRows
Wholesale Slaughter Docs Not Seem
Lessen Their Numbers Here.


wholesale Slaughter Docs Not Seem "a
Lessen Their Numbers Here.
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 wodld keep down the pests so cf.
fectually as TO make life worth living
after nearly a quarter of a century the
birds are hootcl at on every side, de-
stroyei by thousands, made homeless
by indignant householGers, and met
with unlriendly repulses everywhere.
State and national laws have been en-
acted toesreluce their numbers, and
even to exterminate them utterly.
The ornithologist of the agricultural
department at Washington has recent
ly 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
moro harm than good. Gnd that a gem
eral crusade should bc 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
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 a 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 aud 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 q rule
nest under the corniccs of the house,
piazza. or among the masses of jap
anese or English ivy that decorates the
sides of houses. churches, and public
buildings II the nests cannot he
reached with long pole stream Of
water PLAYED from the one-inch nozzle
of a hose pipe will be effectual in caus-
ing destruction to the homes of the
birds. Systematic and concerted ac-
tion is recommended by the ornitholo.
gist of the agricultural department, and
it is even suggested that the birds
should be made popular as toothso;ne
and nutritious game birds for the
table. When properly cooked il is hard
to distinguish their meat from that Of
the favoritc rice birds, it is asserted.
This last recommendation has been
made before. and the advice has beer
needed in a way not altogeter satis-
factory to the department. 1. is said
that on the banks of the Kaw river.
two miles above Lawrence. Kan. a
sparrow farm has been established by
a man whose chief business is to sup
ply the mirket demand for sparrows.
lie supplies the tables of many hotels
in Chicago. st. Loais. 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
- - l-S
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 uolestation.
Thousands of sparrcws 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 rcmuner-
ativc.
Meanwhile the sparrows increase in
numbers all over the country. invading
new territory ut the rate Of thirty
thousand square miles q year. A few
friends scattered here and there lift up
q 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 educationally vicious.
1T sets a lot of children to work to
devise the destruction o. innocent liv-
ing creatures" says the president o1
the Illinois Humane society. NO 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 tho 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 in numbers by these
birds.
1
| against the sparrow in England. and
some of the warinest friends of birds
there unhesitatingly declare them
selves in favor of the final extermina-
tion of this creature, especially in the
rural districts. While the sparrows do
some good in destroying noxious in
| sccts their evil habits more than coun-
terbalance the benefits. The English
farmers are almost a unit in declaring
that the sparrows destroy tons OF
berries, vegetables and grains every
season. and that they drive away more
useful birds.-N. Y. sun.
Al Emperor's Uncomfortable Life.
In spite of his high prerogatives and
semi-divine attributes, Prof. Douglas
thinks that there are probably few
more miserable men in the world than
the emperor Of China One of the
titles of this '.vicegercnt of Heaven
is that OF THE Solitary Man. and
this, in Prot. Douglas opinion, bes,
describes his normal condition; for, al
though surrounded by Aatterers, both