The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-05-02
GRANGE DEPARTMENT.
Conducted by w. r. Alexander. r. r.
D. No. a, Owosso.

~ w. " O"OoSO'
To whom Correspondence for the department
should be addressed
COUNTY GRANGE CALENDAR.
Owosso Townships First and third Tuesday
in each month at l 80 p m; Richardson's hall
Owosso.
New Lothrop: Second and fourth Tuesd ay
afternoon In each month. =
Bennington: First and third Saturday after
noon In each month.
Hazel Green First and third Friday Of each
month; Henderson.
Burns: Every Tuesday evening, Knaggs
Bridge.
Union: Each Alternate Friday evening
Chapin.
Topics for May, suggested by the
National Lecturer: OF what advantage
is good education9
State Lecturer: Arid lands and irri-
cation.
Let us strive to keep down the weeds
in our fields, and also in our minds and
cultivate the goodly plants that the
harvest may be great.
THE VALUE OF BIRDS TO THE FARMER
Much has been said and written touch
ing the great value of the song birds of
the country in the destruction of insect
pests injurious to the farmer There is
little doubt, however, that this value is
far too generally underestimate and
that the enormous amount of insect life
annually destroyed by the feathered
beauties, which also contribute to mans
enjoyment in so many other ways, is SO
great that were its exact amount known
the figures would be almost incompre-
hensible. While there are some few
species of the feathered tribe. which
might properly be classed as public
nuisances in the rural communities
which they inhabit, yet the great mass
of the native birds are invaluable aids
to the general farmer, and in not few
cases by their presence make the success
of his efforts possible.
As additional evidence of this unap-
preciated fact we give the opinion of a
French naturalist on this subject as
published in the Philadelphia Press:
Man could not live in a birdless
world. A French naturalist asserts that
if all the birds in the world were to die
suddenly, human life on this planet
would become extinct in nine years.
In spite of all the sprays and poisons
which could be manufactured to kill off
destructive slugs and insects they would
so multiply that in that length of time
they would have eaten up all the
orchards and crops in existence, and
man would be starved to death. All
that man does in the way Of preserving
to our use the kindly fruits of the earth
is as nothing compared with what is
accomplished by the vast army of birds
which prey upon insect life and thus
keep it down to point which permits
of the growth of sufficient food to
support human life. Take away the
birds, and in nine years not man,
woman or child would be alive-all
dead of starvation. Michigan Farmer.
The following from Commissioner
Briston explains ITSELF:
.Corunna, Mich, April %, 1902.
Mr.. w. F. ALEXANDER,
Ow6sso, Mich.
DEAR SIR:-I have not answered
yours of the 4th before because in
tended to answer it by sending an article
for the paper, as requested; but have
not succeeded i'll preparing one yet.
Upon considering the subject you
named, find it rather difficult one to
write an article upon of any length.
1t seems to me like idle words and a
waste of time to talk about lot, or
even few things, of secondary inn
portance that might be done by the
people of district, but probably would
not be when the crying need of district
schools at the present time lis better
teachers wages so that experienced and
competent teachers will stop leaving
the profession. For the most part the
schools must improve through the
teachers, and until district people see
this to the extent that they are willing
to loosen the purse strings a little, the
schools to a large extent must remain
as they are. The county management
is doing all it can to stimulate the pupils
and to give the constant influx Of
beginners in the teaching work as
much preparation as possible for the
duties of the schoolroom.
Yours very truly,