The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-03-03
ARE BIRDS DESTRUCTIVE

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ARE BIRDS DESTRUCTIVE
Consul McNally, of Liege, taking
the London DAILY Mail as authority,
reports that at a recent meeting ol
the board of agriculture in England,
at which the question of the value OF
uonvalue of birds to farmers formed
an important subject of discussion,
the conclusion arrived at left the
matter almost as much in doubt as it
was when the discussion began. One
or two items of interest were afforded
and are furnished by the Consul.
He writes:
"Opinion among farmers,' says
the Daily Mail, is hopelessly divid-
ed asto the value of birds to the agri-
cultuialist. At discussion held by
the bosrd of agriculture some advo-
Gated tie destruction of what they
regarded as feathered pests others
claimed hat the birds do more good
than harm. Those most interested
in the subject think that under pre-
sent conditions the balance of nature
has been upset. The gamekeepers
killed off the predatory birds, and
farmers clubs give high price for
magpies, jays and others that prey
on eggs and fedglings. The result
is that thereis unquestionably an ab-
normal number of small birds that do
a great amount of damage to crops.
The Society for the Protection of
Wild Birds agrees that, with some
exceptions, the number of their pro-
teges is increasing ). but it is pointed
out that, while the damage the birds
do is palpable, the good they do is
not so easily noted. A long series of
mild winters has preserved the birds,
especially the soft kinds, which feed
SO largely on fruit. 1t is of these
that SO many complaints are now be-
ing made by the fruit-growersin in Sur
rey and Kent
Mr.. Decimus Lingwood, of Ston-
ham, Suffolk, writes
II consider the increasing fondness
of birds for fruit is in great measure
due to the dry summers. Worms,
etc., being difficult to obtain, the
birds turned their attention to fruit,
not only eating it themselves, but
bringing up their young on the same
diet. By the wild birds protection
acts orders are granted by the home
secretary to county councils apply
ing the acts to each county. The
shooting or snaring of wild birds from
March I to August I, except in the
case of certain districts where vari-
alton has been secured, usually for
the protection at all times of rare
birds. The prohibition, except in the
latter case, does not apply to the own
ers or occupiers Of land or persons au-
thorized by them, so that farmers
have great deal latitude in the mat
ter"
The Wild Birds Protection Society
points out the fact that there is no
bird fairly chargeable with any ap-
preciable damage which the owner or
tiller of the soil is prevented slaught-
ering at any period of the year. 1t
is claimed that the division of birds
into insectivorous and otherwise is
misleading. Few species are either
entirely insectivorous or entirely veg
etarian. And both hard billed and
soft billed birds include mems allies
in the cultivation of the ground.
Instances are given of the thrush,
which all the year round kills snails,
slugs, worms, grubs or chrysalides,
but in summer eats strawberries and
currants.
The chafinch eats all the year seeds
of harlock, ,plantains, groundsel, knot
grass and other perennial weeds, and
also eats and feeds its young entirely
on insects, including leafroller, sloop-
er caterpillars and the dreaded "sur-
face" caterpillars of the diamond back
moth. 1t will thin out turnips equal
to any farmer and devour newly sown
cabbage, radish and garden seeds.
The tits, or tomtits, destroy wee
wills and larvae in young buds ad-
mitted by the board of agriculture to
be among the most useful birds in
the garden and orchard.
The goldfnch eats thistle seeds.
The wren, summer warblers and, dur
ing nesting time, the sparrow destroy
the green fly.
The nuthatch, tree creeper, wry-
neck and woodpecker feed on living
beetles, etc.
Rocks, lapwings, starlings, jack
DAVIS, magpies, nightjar wheatear,
concrake, shrike and jay all eat the
destructive cockchafer, wireworm and
leather-jacket grubs. They also dig
up young crops, looking for grubs.
For the sparrow no defense is Of
fered.