Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-04
The FARMERS
BEST FRIEND
U. S. AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT.
ISSUES PAPER SETTING FORTH
WORTH OF THE SWALLOWS
DESTROY MANY BUGS
VALUE Of Swallows as Insect Des.
troyers" is Title Of Circular Written
by Chief Of Biological Survey The
I Report in Detail

The United States department Of
agriculture has issued circular
regarding the good that is done by the
swallow. and for the benefit of the
so-called sportmen who take delight
in shooting birds the article is repro
duced In full below.
That Intoxicating birds are OF i'm.
mense value to the farmer and the
forester Is so we'll known that their
protection is now believed to be alb
solutely necessary to the welfare of
any country and the laws that have
been enacted In Iowa for the puntsh.
ment OF the hclass of individuals re-
ferred to above should be enforced 10
the letter. The value Of certain kinds
in the United States has been recently
emphasized through the invasion of
the cotton states by new and de-
structive insect the boil weevi]. Sta
tistics show that this new pest de-
spite every effort to stay its march. Is
spreading at the rate of about fifty
miles a. year, and sooner or later is
certain to infest the entire cotton pro.
ducing area-a fact which not only
seriously concerns the southern plant
er but In its ultimate consequences If
fects the well-being Of the whole coun-
try. Birds are among the natural enc
mics Of the weevil, but they themsel-
yes are quite inadequate to the task Of
controlling the ravages of the pest.
Those losses 1t inf1icts are OF such
magnitude, however, that no aid can
be safely neglected, especially when
so important as the services rendered
by birds. AS result Of Investigations
by the biological survey thirty-eight
species Of birds are now known to
feed upon the weevil, and prominent
among these are the several species
of swallows, including the purple mar
tin, Of which the circular referred 70
contains the following regarding the
different species:
Should Re Protected
"The martin, tie barn swallow, the
bank swallow, the cliff swallow and
the rough-wing breed-some of them
only sparingly-in Texas and else,
where in the south. They breed also
In the north, but the tree swallow and
the cliff swallow-very important
members of the group-appear in tho
south, the former during spring and
fall migration only. Steps have been
taken to sacquaint the farmers and
other residents of Texas and the re-
naming cotton-producing states of tho
Importance of increasing the numbers
of the local species and of extending
the range of certain species In the cot
ton districts. This may be done by
strictly enforcing the laws protecting
swallows and by providing additional
accommodations for nesting. These
steps alone, however, are not suffi-
cient. 1t is very important also that
all Of the swallow tribe nesting In the
northern states and migrating through
the cotton belt be increased to the
limit, more particularly since in late
years a steady Gininution of their
numbers has been noted.
Tree Swallow
'The tree swallow, as is we'll known
has been prosecuted by the English
sparrow until it has entirely aban-
doned many districts where 1t former
ly abounded. Unless a systematic EFF
fort be made to reduce the number of
sparrows and to protect from invasion
the boxes put up for the occupancy Of
swallows, it is difficult to see how the
tree swallow can re-occupy the old
territory from which 1t has been driv-
en- or even long hold it's present
area. An energetic war on the English
sparrow and the careful protection Of
the swallow domiciles In a few years
would result in a complete change of
the situation of the swallow tribe,
is concerned.
Barn Swallow
"The barn swallow formerly was
abundant throughout the northern
states, especially In New England.
The tightly built modern barn, how
ever, no longer invites the presence
|of the barn swallow by affording it
friendly shelter, and the birds are
becoming scarcer and scarcer. To pro-
vide openings in modern barns and
to encourage the presence in them of
colonies by providing convenient nest
ing sites are easy and effective me-
thods by which this beautiful species
may be greatly increased In numbers.
This bird also requires protection
from the English sparrow, which in
one foray has been known to kill the
young and destroy the eggs of large
colony
Bank Swallow
1.-THE well known bank swallow as
its name implies, nests in sand banks
in holes OF Its own digging. Some
farmers in the northern states take
special pains to protect their colonies
of bank swallows from the marauding
boy and the prowly cat. Some even