Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-17
BIRDS ON THE FARM

DlhUO UN lnL TAhM
II tho farmers once thoroughly urd -
stood the valIc of Wild tirds on the farm
liz they could he made to believe that thu >
unpaid fratEcred laburors save tho.
scores, and in some cases hundreds Of j
lars every year-they would not only J.
tain from using their own guns so fire. v.
but they would stand fast between the pD..
hunter and his victims end treat him j
as roughly as If he had come for the p,D
pose OF stealing the farm poultry. Thl,':-
en- thieves, when caught. are Usually a.-
vercly dealt with, while pot-hrntcrs. 81
not encouraged, are often simply warned
oft the premises yet it is safe to say that
the total financial loss sustained throutsl
the depredations of the Clicken-thieVes j.
not one-tenth of that inflicted by the p
hunters These facts are now recognized
by intelligent agricultUrists, many oi
whom, instead of allowing the birds 70 De
shot for taking share CT the crors thev
help 10 cultivate, plant cherries muherti
and other sruits On purpose fer them,
| The value Of wild birds TO the farm =
| is not a matter Of theory; it is a IN o
which has ben demonstrated by careil
Investigation 5nd at great oXpenS" by tvs
department of agriculture at WashnEto.
! For many years number Of the leddius
ra;uralists Of the country devoted th'ir
best efforts t. finding out beyond Iera.-
venture, which birds We're Of benefit to III
farmers, and Which, wer injurious Tn ,
gentlemen took nothing for granted. a.
copied no hearSaY evidence rs final =
gave each species a trial if anything NOR
impartial than it would have received IN
a court Of law. Eefore rronouncmg Nr'-
dict they examined the most direct j.
dcnce which could ssihly be advanced.
wiz, contents of the sto'nachs Of ind '
dual birds Not Just ono stomach nor ten.
ror a hundred stcmacrs. but thcus lnd
and tens Of thousands of them, collected
from all parts cf the oourtry and IT all
seasons Of the year. OF the birds pas
uron. about a. species, only one, the I'm.
lsh sparrow. was convicted of Crir'tt
which warranted the inhiCtion of the de- 4
penalty. All the rest were found to htrs
redce ming features, End most Of t,'t}
proved themselves highly beneficial to It's
immunity.
OF course some cases were found Whc.
in, at certain times OF the year, iAdividt.I
farmers suftered loss. but such cHses vo"'
, rare. and where the gains and les ses q "r
summed up over a hunter of years.
, birGs nearly always had q good balancv
their credit.
1t was found that the complain e
, farmers ard gardeners often arose a. IL
result of inaccurate or impcrfc2l olscrv
ton. For example. many Il farmer i
} quick enough to notice Il hawk VIXEN tn
latter makes a descent on his poultry yald
yet be is very apt to overlook the sar.e
bird while it is preyng or scores Of mic.
1ats and other destructive creatures a.
one distance from the farm huildin.f
Iheh' again. MUMMY 70 ''' H''S t'' Ul
lc't MT sp@HeS titeh Ieads Il lfien TO S"N'-
an lhonehslVe ana very "eluI any III
away by a hawk of quite another genus. 4
knowledge Of the birds to be found in hi
o"n county or even IN MS c"n StH'.
N,ouID w ut''' easy Iu' We $3.50 Iat
|e' u &C li're' f"u SuS'l d hIr'"'e1Se NC'"'
i'ot oI'lE my an actuai - :" vim, uVt IT,
Fouio adu SrPa'iE 70 t''c l'caSure Oh MN
IN the country Inc "nE rear NJ -o'"N'
are the EoSndWk Oool 81 "'"ks' tHf
sp"rp summed haWks m'u even lhf.e -
fCou service "hl'li I,rnC'Ir"ilN C"SetS t'''r
hlsoeods' ne led-taiIed nav r. "hleh ~
cten Shot iei cllcheh-ulel' - uS""l'-
euitess 81 me crime iot winch ne tdy3
WIN ms NE. FuilN 'o per cen, CT ms l Of
COZ SislS 81 II Itrloui II ann US nhu o9'N
Z yer cent Oh ppuiTS. ~ ~ N ris"cI
el'es II as MS opinion that: even q TINS
IeFc, htdge, /" large II t"It' Il Is i,''ue up
OF ca diSepsen or othSl "iSN c.S,','..l
low!s, so preN.ntIh" th'ir lnlstDIe'u!nN
Win ire SOUND Stoch. "iu hlIi'@''"T u.
sIIead 81 rata! epl'eil'loS =
hIt the sons-hircs are Gulte US usol5l II
- not mere So since 'heV Destroy HHtlIu5 OF
:, insects, insects eggs and larvae ana II -
@ IarFely que TO 'heT a'tNHE th"t tne mum
= and other crops can pe harvested az ''.,
. For instance, II mas t'th SHOWN that .
= PEI cent Of the fooI or inc N, "I"WIafk IA
IcllNci time IL NrdSSHoPP'ia' WIZ III az tN'iF
one kneWS are amongst VIC MOST uestVu ,
Y tive OF all small treatprts' II Is estimate
that IN a township OF square hlIHS, tAi
Meadowlarks save ~ worm 81 grass eIet :
month during the GraSsh Per Nes SON lh'
e robin is often shot Tor tahlnA rev 'htr o.
e ries or staWte'TleS. or Tor "4cdHl haiN
Y pecfinE at IN apple, tut no never tax y
f moro than snail percentage or IN cu!tl-
! vstod fruit he saves by dc StrcNlnS W"SNS.
Y ants and other insects, which form about
= - ta,,a ,,irbt bo sa,fd I,, ,,1-,|tf,,.,
= ne do"s take pl!Ent pr s1'tu ny P'. .l'H~