Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-04-09
SPORTSMAN, SPARE THAT BIRD.
PLEAlFOR THE PROTECTION OF VERMONT'S
FEATHERED SONGSTERS.
Figures Showing the Great Benefit
Especially
o Take

IL is the.purpose OF the writer TO call the
attention of the reader to few Of the inn
portant facts regarding the birds as one OF
the indispensable allies OF the farmer. The
chief enemies of the farmer are the insects,
which always destroy part OF the crops
and sometimes large part. 1t has been
estimated that insects cause an annual loss
TO the agricultural interests OF the country
OF g 900, or one-tenth OF the total value
OF the crops. With the almost Ilimitless
power OF multiplication which - insects
possess, il is natural to ask why they do
not multiply to such an extent as to de-
stroy all crops. The answer is that they
are kept In check by their natural enemies,
the birds, which prey upon them as food.
In general way all are familiar with
the fact that birds feed upon insects, but
ii has been only within recent years that
we have come to learn definitely that the
prosperity Of the farmer depends directly
on the work OF the birds in destroying in
furious insects, and to a less extent in eat
ing the seeds OF weeds. Were all the birds
destroyed, the business OF the farmer
would be at an end. The magazine, "For-
est and Stream says:-"It is certain that |
without the service OF these feathered |
lborers whose work is unseen, though it
lasts from daylight till dark through
every day in the year, agriculture in this
would come to an immediate
Nor is the farmer the only
one affected. II he could no longer raise
his crops, the human race would perish
rom want Of food, So great an authority
Is Frank NJ. Chapman says. "Reference
o the works and papers mentioned will I
npport the statement that 1--we were de- I
rived Of the services Of birds. the earth /
would soon become uninhabitable.n !
To one who has snever had the matter t
rought 70 his attention, il is quite natural t
hat these statements should seem some a
that exaggerated. The writer wishes 10 3
ring forward enough facts to prove that h
hat has been said is supported by indis- II
utable evidence. ;
This question has assumed such import a
nee that the national government, I through m
le Department OF Agriculture, has in Il
ttuted division OF Ornithology, which n
as made a special study of the relation OF OF
rds TO agriculture, as a result of which n
le Indispensable value OF the birds to the al
rmer has been proved beyond a doubt IA
he food habits OF the birds have been III
udied in the field, but the final court OF
,peal is the examination OF the contents We
the birds stomach. large number of ev
rds have been collected from all parts OF ly
e country and the contents of the stom- or
n examined to sdetermine what the food la
the bird has been. Enough OF the tn
rider parts of the insects remained I'M pc
iected SO that with few exceptions the In
sects upon which the bird had been feed IA
& were identified. The results OF We
me OF these examinations for few of tr,
II common birds are stabulatedr below. tn
ie food OF the birds may be spoken of to
lder three heads, the beneficial, injurious
d neutral. In the table only the first M
% classes are included. Figures indi- eg
te the.ner cent OF the whole food (which an
y particular kind forms A cross indi- biz
les thatithis insect forms a part of the OF
Dd OF the bird. II should be noted that are
lch OF the grain which some OF the birds rea
represents no loss to the farmer, as il
picked up from the ground. tito