Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-05-06
ORCHARD FRUITS.
Their Destruction by Partridges-
Who will Protect the Farmer?
E. ". Wooster in Maine Farmer.

O~N'N' w
In the Farmer of March 10 l read MIR.
Smiley's letter about the great damage
done to orchards by cartridges, and at a
season of the year when we are by the
law of our State not allowed to shoot
them; and then in the next column to
the left-agricultural editorial column
two items in very heavy type, refer
ring to this letter, and fully endorsing its
statement OF facts. Right above both of
of these columns, under the headline:
"Who will protect the farmer?" very
opportune question: some forty well-ar-
ranged words which should command the
attention of every thoughtful farmer of
our state.
It pleases me right we'll. 1t shows that
some OF our farmers are getting walked up
on the partridge nuisance to orchards,
and the great Injustice of the law that
protects them, and are working their in
tiuence on the editors aud managers Of
some of the agricultural pres'.
Come to think OF it, the writer was an
advance agent in getting into the press on
this very same auction some eighteen
years ago, and as far as / know the only
one at that time, and for several years
after, and | kept hammering away, off and
on, at it for five or six years, but as / could
excite no comment or support from any
one, and meantime far more evil genius
from the feathered tribe having put his
head into my then growing aud my now
leading fruit industry, | let the matter
rest.
Now, after matter OF ten years. wait
ing to find my statements so emphatically
reiterated ana fully Endorsed is most graf =
flying. feel amply repaid for waiting,
and now again put in my words to en-
courage he right.
Now, naturally, problem, somewhat
resem bling the solution OF which must
be accomplished by the rule OF three. pre-
sents Itself. Here 1t is: II 1t takes a
matter OF eighteen years to stir up public
sentiment enough to get the Endorsement
OF our leading agricultural paper of the
State against the partridge law, game
bird, because OF its habits OF budding the
apple trees, how long will 1t take me
hammering away at the law which pro-
tects The robin, not generally regarded as
game bird, before | can get the false
idea that he is a very beneficial bird to
he agricultural interest eliminated
efficiently and public sentiment in
general in our State turned in the right
direction to force our legislature to grant
US free privilege to protect, in measure,
our berries from this very bad bird?
lam putting it small when / say that
the robin has destroyed mot ate 1t all, by
any means) within the last three years
| 81 600 worth of berries for me, and
| against this amount, with all my careful
| watchfulness, l have not been able to
discover one dollars worth Of benefit he
| has been to me.
How true it is, that experience Is the
| only teacher that mankind will believe"
| Sentiment of long standing becomes
| chronic and contagious-one of the most
| unreasona Bile and stubborn things TO dea
with. Our daily lives are full of illustra
| tions of the fact that there Is no animal
that walks upon the earth that, in proper
tion to his natural intelligence, length o.
life and superior opportunities and ad
| vantages to learn, is SO slow to learn al
the average human animal.