The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-05-20
WHAT WE OWE TO THE BIRDS.

Ing summary OF lecture on birds
recently delivered by Prof. T. Gil
bert Pearson, of the State Normal
end Industrial College. We quote
the following para graphs:
Prof. T. Gilbert Pearson's address
at the organization of the Audubon
Society, at the State Normal and In
dustrial Cole ge yesterday afternoon
has been highly oomplimented. Prof.
Pearson Is an ornithologist of note
and handles his subject in a very en-
tertaining and instructive manner.
Lt is q genuine pleasure to listen to
him.
In his address yesterday afternoon
he called attention to the fact that
the usefulness of birds to mankind
is revealed in many ways. For in
stance, first, they serve a great part
in the plan Of nature in keeping
down the surplus numbers of many
obnoxious forms of life. Certain
species numbering millions of indi,
v:Guals feed largely on mice and rats,
and others upon destructive vermin.
Birds also perform the part of scav-
engers and thus aid in preser wing
the health of the neighborhood. The
vultures in the South and the ravens
in the North and West render man
this great service. Gulls clear the
waves of dead animal matter, and
swarms of shore birds keep the
beaches cleansed from putrid re-
mains. Some birds serve the part of
messengers as trained pigeons, or
self-appointed herald as certain sea
birds which gathering in numbers
about the ship give the mariner a
warning of the approaching storm.
Shooting game birds, if properly
conducted, does not decrease their
numbers, and it gives employment
TO thousands of men and boys as
trappers and guides, while the health
full outdoor exercise and the relief
afforded the mind and body by an
occasional outing is enjoyed by thou
sands of others. As a food, birds
form an important staple in some
places. The peasants of large areas
of Russia depend largely for their
meat supplies upon the flooks of wild
ptarmigan which inhabit the country.
However, it is as insect destroyers
that birds perform their most evil
dent service to man There are one
hundred thousand kinds of insects in
the United States, the majority of
which are injurious TO the crops of
the farmer and the fruit grower. 40
cording to estimates made by the
the government at Washington, the
annual loss in plant products TO the
United States from insects in 5000,
900, 600, that is, about one senth of
the entire agricultural product, is
the total average. Hence any inhu
ence tending to lessen or keep down
the increase of these figures would
be benefit to man. The bird is one
of the insects. chief enemies. A
oovey of partridges on a farm il
worth more to it's owner in a year
than all the products of his poultry
yard during the same time. Ayoung
swallow will eat six or eight hundred
flies day, and a young robin needs
in the same length of time as many
worms as you can hold in your hand.
Most birds are partially fed on in
scots, and two thirds of the sparrows
are almost solely insectivorous. The
work of insect destruction goes on
continually In summer it is the
adult insects and their Larvae which
is eaten, while in winter it is the
eggs which are hunted out of their
retreats and devoured by tons.
1t does not take very wide sweep
of the imagination to fancy the seri-
GUS state of affairs possibly existing
on the earth for man should birds
cease to exert their power as insect
destroyers. Birds consume the seeds
of many weeds which have baneful
effects upon many crops. AS single
example of this, it has been estimated
by Prof. Beal that the listle tree
sparrow of Iowa annually destroys
/, 72O, 900 varieties of noxious weed
seeds.
Then. from, the aesthetic stand
point, birds are of great value to the
human race. They have stirred the
souls of poets and of literary oharac-
ters, as we'll as of almost every per
son who has come within the infu
-. - GS,oS- SO1na