The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-31
BOB WHITE.
A Tribute Paid by The Song Bird Of
The Durham Sun.

A recent visit to the country, revived
the memory of rural life in boyhood
days, and recalled the fact that few
sounds on the farm are sweeter than
the resonant note arising when "amid
the stubbled corn the blithe quail pipes
at morn.'' The rural scene misses
much of it's setting when this beautiful
bird is absent. There is music in his
pensive whistle, a stimulus in the whir
occasioned by his rushing flight. and
good company in frequent sights of
the flock as they scurry on Whizzing
wing from one part of the place TO
the other. The quail is a semi-dOmes-
tic bird that loves the cultivated field,
the thick growing hedge, the growing
grass that beSpeaks the presence of
man. 1t is pre-eminently the bird of
civilization, and is benefited by its
advance, while all the forest loving
birds are discouraged in proportion as
trees are cut down and fields cleared
for the harvest. Most varieties of our
feathered friends decreased or disap-
Ipeared with the obstruction of the pri-
meval forests, but the quail follows
the pillow. the reaper and the mower,
being at it's best in the tall grass of
June. the ripening wheat of July and
the tall corn of the autumnal season.
The quail is semi-domeStic and adj
mirable in all the family relations.
When they mate it is for keeps. No
divorces go in the world of quail
dom, no infidelity, no human getting
off with the old love before getting
on with the new. Master Bob White
is model husband, father and pro-
WIDER. Ever faithful to his spouse,
strict monogamist. he assists both to
hatch and rear the young and watches
yigilantly over mother while she is
attending to the nest meantime con"
soling her with his sweet monotone
or warning of the approach OF enc
mics.
But it is not by his beauty and
cheerfulness alone that Bob White
recommends himself to the farmer
and all who live in the country. lie
is invaluable along the lines of utlll-
ty, and pays for his keep Thousand
| times over The archaeological ofb-
Gals of the Department or Agricui-
| ture speak in the highest terms OF the
quail's economic value, and declare
| them to be the most useful birds on
the farm. Field observations, exper-
| iments and examinations show that
they consume large quantities Of weed
seeds and destroy many OF the worst
! insect pests with which farmers con-
/ tend without injuring grain, fruit or
| other crops. 1T is estimated that IN
| Virginia alone, every year, they de-
stroy nearly six hundred tons of nox-
ious weed seeds. The quail are NOR
tai enemies of Tile NJ axican bolt
weevil, which damages the cotton
! crop upwards of $4,000, 600 a year;
the potato beetle, which cuts off
| $10,000,000 from the value of the
| tuber crop; the cotton worms, which
have been known to cause $4,000
900 loss in a single season. Favorite
| food of these busy birds are the
chinchbug and Rocky Mountain To-
Gust, scourges which leave desolation
in their path and have caused losses
to the extent of $100,0 100000 in some
/ years.
| 1t is manifest, therefore, that no
| farmer can make better investment
| than to keep a few dozen flocks Of
quail on his farm all the time.