The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
HALLTHEREBEABIRD DAY
ryIygs THAT MIGHT BE TAUGHT
Jo CHILDREN. AND ADULTS, roo.

Nae long ago llSllEbu lie DtphlNAnfuN Vi hHTl-
culture TO suggest. as supplementary or COM
souantary. a Bird Day. The Idea originated
ssnr,nc the term Of Secretary Morton, while
%is Youngest department Of the Government
80 stDl irving to invent reasons FOR its own
.,Is,cnce. For its creation had not been re-
sai,sd with the expected enthusiasm even by
,s farmers, in whose particular interest It was
orosrzed. Previously for many years there
h,d Leeu a Bureau Of Agriculture Us q part OF
,ho Interior Department. which IL the recep-
,.ce of any branch OF the public service that
do.. not have an appropriate home elsewhere.
I,s chief business was to issue seeds to mem
liars of Congress TO he distributed among their
constituents, 1t was also alleged to be- en-
,sssd in exrcrim ents TO adapt foreign plants
N American use. the most con snicuous OF these
haine. perhaps. Commissioner Le Dues efforts
10 domesiicute certain kinds Of teas In Florida.
While he maintained that the attempt was suo-
,essIul, it ~ ) charged that the cost OF produc-
,,on was ~frtcral times the market price OF the
hes, OF impri. cd teas except. OF course. such
,eAs as weg, exhibited at the Chicago Worlds
Fair and wee said TO be sold at from $35 to
s1OC a pouId i. Asa rule the costly experim ents
ma, with little favor in Congress, while the
p,.ss was disposed to the work. There
were many complaints even OF the character OF
the SetNN htit VI nv SSSH VI t'O
bureau. Finally it was represented that II it
could be elevated to the plano OF the depart
ments auL its head be a Cabinet officer its use
fulness would be greatly enlarged.
Virtually the first Secretary OF Agriculture
was Uncle Jerry Rusk. as COMMISSIONS COL
man entered the office only in time to leave II
At the expiration OF Mr.. Cleveland's term.
Uncle Jerry Rusk had been o stage driver. a
farmland and n Sheriff In the wilds Of western
Wisconsin before he entered the army for the
war. and he was a farmer after the war until
he became a member OF Congress. He found
the new department to be without any serious
or important functions. With the idea that a
strong farmer support would help him toward
aPresidenttal nomination. he began a struggle
for something to do. Among the most notable
things he did. besides proving he was a farmer
BY swinging a scythe OF the lawn before
the ONCE. was to enlarge the scope Of the
ANNA industry branch. This included an
Investigation of Heterogeneous and al
effort to stamp it out. and the creation OF q
bureau for the inspection OF pork for export,
which gave employment to several hundred
young women at the pork centres at a mini
mum salary OF $50 a month each. He also
brought out a voluminous. elaborate and
costly book on horses. Secretary Morton
subsequently, reported that tho meat in
specticn was superficial and too costly. The
work OF the statistical Office was also extended.
with a more frequent gathering of reports of the
crop conditions, especially OF wheat and cotton.
It became one of the serious objects in Editor
Watterson's life to assail these reports. which he
held to be an injury to the American producer,
because, he asserted, the crops were repre-
sented to be larger than they were in fact. with
the result Of reducing prices, In spite OF the
tirelesS efforts to make an obviously useful in
Etitutlon OF the Department OF Agriculture
there have been suspicious that it hardly pays
for itself. Its latest acquisition is the Weather
Bureau.
II was this striving for something to do and
70 win popularity that led to the promotion OF
years by an act of the Nebraska Legislature,
but until the department made a campaign in
its behalf there was no prospect OF its adop-
Now" said an official of the Forestry Di-
vision. there are only a few States in which
day is either a general or a school holiday. In
q. the country schools Il ls observed with some
interesting OF all the holidays. There is q
series OF talks or COMPOSITIONS, sometimes
with demonstrations. all about trees. Appro-
slase yeFass are as9 dec ceSassa WITH shi t sdns; any rh see
procession Is formed. and either seeds or
some Of the cities the day is marked by an
instructive talk about trees and literary
not limited to the planting Of trees by the
children. but it has stimulated tree planting BY
others and has extended a knowledge of and
generations in this country often seemed to
lave no sense of the value or beauty Of trees,
sLa ed a doorway because frewood was needed.
Anu i Was easier to do this than 10 90 to the
Another official said 1t was about three years
ago that the suggestion OF Bird Day was made
by the department. It's circular on the SUBJ
iect became the theme of a magazine article In
which the idea was Etrnn0lV nDnFOVai ~ hA
yenton. 1T proposed that an entire day should
Be devoted TO the intimate study OF birds. to
Of which last literature offers an endless num-
bfeE Bird Day Is a natural sequence OF Arbor
DAY "a since we can hardly know the trees with;
preserve them from the ravages OF the worms"
Il said that the present Secretary Of Agricul-
ture has shown no particular interest in It. but
IS not opposed To any efforts to promote It.
several prominent ornithologists. will con-
,r'onte TO a series OF pamphlets In order to
1t would probably mean something moro
than another holiday for the children" said a
soniaa, though That o. Itself w 70 III be o Worth
they give to ~f2rb!ddiGG text books is a distinct
alt pupils should be required to give one day
to The birds, it would introduce them to sub
ifiEi ; s"a' to IS TO Zoo M nittIhHr a GaS TO a y2 2eaF: Or w SId T. n be
ask for a better beginning Tor the education
tnal IS required. by modern life than an NAL
- ' - ,h4l, . oNAiS tllOue. L HAS t16 DO
%tarntlahty Of all science in il. II involves classi-
nration, which is the first step toward any
knowledge the Determination of differ
.hces and likeness sand which engages
the essential processes OF observation and
memory, Whatever induces the child to look
ttehtlvely and remember. as a pleasurable eN-
tfclSe, Is educational in the best sense. Much
depends on the teacher. however. II she hap
pehs TO be well instructed. especially about
animals. and teaches truth instead of fable, she
can lay the foundations of an education In
er.tHce with birds alone. II she IL a mere
lnGhtimenia. lat she can do more mischief in one
nntrH DAY than can be got rid Of in a lifetime.
mere are teachers who endow these pretty
sSDhgsters oi the woods and fields with the most
utlcate ana tender as well a. the strongest
sehtiments, such as only human creaturcs
ih saT Ihey ignore such savage instincts as
,rsd me p@stiferous little imported sparrows,
uwr Nalnp PIE, 10 annihilate all birls that are in
TTalpao!e OF resisting their organized attacks.
tnel PASS over III" cruelty oil the robin red
nTItast m irasting on the useful angleworm as
tknI.y as they pass over the torture Of the
"rrtH0ti@ed mouse by pretty pussy.
NhluleU., Of course. persOnaliZh all the
to.Mrf animals, but often the disposition to do
MsuINlNes childhood and Is apparent in culti-
,,ateu men and women. They cannot get over
"a 'uea that the lower animals suffer exactly
vvotneS Touin themselves over the loss OF their
bouug N boston there Is u 81. Valentines
sovIrty ior the protection Of hiris. not from
que! lows or from miilin-rs. but from the sori-
Hbhs men OF science. the ornithoiogists aud
OlOIOkNStS, who IDi, tla nA-ta ~ n1.,s "a SHva,,na