Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-25
DEPREDATIoNs ON FARMS.
Increase of Insects Which Causes
Heavy Losses.

Increase of Insects Which Causes
Heavy Losses.
The great increase Of insect pests In
orchards and gardens entails an enor-
nous expense upon the farmers Of this
country, and yet 1t Is possible that the
farmer himself is at fault to certain
extent by assisting in the destruction
of animals and birds that would per-
form for him valuable service If per-
mitted Beasts and birds Of prey are
sufficient to prevent any alarming in
crease of birds that are capable Of
doing harm, but nearly all birds are
carnivorous to some extent, as they
cannot subsist on animal food. Birds
prey upon worms. and the natural in
crease Of all kinds of insects would
soon render the earth uninhabitable by
man but for the assistance given him
by the creatures which he so ruthlessly
destroys without regard to future con-
sequences. The carnivorous animals
and birds no not increase as rapidly
as the kinds on which they prev, and
single lion or tiger may serve to pre-
vent a district from being overrun with
graminivorous animals. If such condi-
ton did not exist the result would be
famine. AS the forests are cleared the
destructive animals and birds are driv-
en- away or restricted in their capacity
to do harm, but man seems to become
himself a beast Of prey and wantonly
destroys for the pleasure Of so doing
He considers certain animals, such as
the fox, hare, raccoon, opossum and
mink, as game" the hawk and owl be-
ing always regarded as his foes. He
adopts the dog and cat, the latter be-
ing more destructive to birds than any
other animal, as it is not only active
and somewhat nocturnal in habit, but
also climbs trees. The fox, opossum
and raccoon are along the most useful
animals known, as they seek their food
where field mice and ground insects
abound. The little damage done by
them Is not worthy of consideration
compared with the service performed.
The only apology for their destruction
is the occasional loss of poultry, but no
careful farmer will leave his poultry
unprotected from danger at night
The farmer has not yet discovered a
method for preventing the destruction
of his crops by field mice and insects
but he devotes more time to seeking
the lives Of his friends, the owl and
hawk, than he gives to the insects
which he cannot control. The damage
to a portion Of the corn and fruit by
animals and birds Is insignificant COM
pared with the almost complete de-
struction Of crops by insects. The
MOLE which ridges the earth, simply
does so while destroying grubs, as
moles consume them in large numbers.
The quail, which Is harmless, is forced
by necessity in the fall and winter to
search for food under every leaf and
in every spot where an insect and
worm can be found, during which
time so spent they destroy thousands
Of insects, but in some localities the
quail has been almost exterminated
simply for sport, which Is one of the
most expensive luxuries enjoyed by
man If he only knew it. The birds
that remain over winter, or which do
not leave until late in the fall, to ap-
pear early in spring, feed not only on
insects, but on the seeds Of many
plants which the farmer does not de-
sire in his field, and the reduction in
the number of these birds Is largely In
creased by cats, which feast upon the
young in the nests in spring and which
also destroy the eggs. This Is dis
turbance of the order Of creation, and
reduces the profits Of the farmer while
destroying the guardians Of his crops.
The English sparrow in the country
could be easily kept in check by the
sparrow hawk and the well-known
screech owl, the latter preying upon
them at night and the former during
the day, especially in winter, II the
farmer would allow them; but on the
approach of his natural friends ne
seizes a shotgun and puts an end TO
their usefulness, yet deploring the de-
struction of his grain crop In the grow
ing season by birds which he protects
and allows to multiply without him
drance.
The subject most to be considered by
farmers at their meetings Is not so
much the destruction of insects ana
field mice as the protection Of the birds
that destroy the pests, and this pro.
lection should be extended to the OWL
and hawk, as we'll as to those animals
which keep rabbits in check. The loss
of poultry cannot happen If such birds
are given the same care and attention
as other stock, and If the farmer will
consider the matter carefully he Will
notice that he loses but few chicks by
the hawk compared with those appro-
priated by cats, yet he destroys the
one and pets the other. A single dog
in a community will do more damage
to sheep in one night than all the wild
animals In year, but the losses to
farmers from depredations of foxes are
so small as to be hardly noticeble. The
song birds that are said to be driven
away by the English sparrow would
return if the hawk and owl were un-
molested, from the fact that the large
majority of birds migrate, the sparrow
remaining as food for the carnivorous
birds, but the widest sparrow Is suffi-
ciently wise to remain close to haunts
of men, where he Is safe from his enc
mics. In winter no crops are growing.
and there are but few, If any, small
chicks. But little damage can be done
the farmer by hawks, crows and owls
at that season. while in summer they
can secure food in abundance else
where, hence they should be given op-
portunities for keeping the sparrow
within bounds Record.