Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-05-01
BIRDS AS PROTECTORS
William butcher Tells of Their
Value to Farmers.
KILLERS OF MANY INSECTS.
Well Known Ornithologist, In Strong
Appeal to Save the Birds, Describes
Methods That Could Be Used to
Create Sentiment In Their Favor.

Methods That Could Be Used to
Create Sentiment In Their Favor.
Now that spring is here insects of
all kinds will soon begin their destruc-
tive work on the farmers crops. To
Offset this the following appeal to save
the birds made by William butcher,
chairman of The protection committee
of the American Ornithologists' union,
Is of timely interest:
According to the census of 1900, there
were in the United States the enor
nous number of 5.739.6J1 farms. with
a total acreage of S4l,2Ul ,546 The val
uation of these farm lands is placed at
the sum of $2051l 00l ,S3S The labor
of the farmer and fruit grower is re-
paid by products to the value of $4.73o.-
llS,752 per year 1t is said that in
sects and rodents destroy products an
nually to the astonishing money value
of $500 100000. even with the birds
as protectors. Try to imagine what
the additional loss would be were alt
the DlfuS destroyed.
They are rapidly decreasing in num-
bers, and unless the large and most
: vitally interested class of the popula-
! tion. the agriculturists awaken to the
gravity of the situation and absolutely
demand that no more beneficial birds
be killed for any purpose whatever
they will soon feel the result in an in
creasing annual loss in actual dollars
and cents. A difference of ! per cent
! in the value of the farm products in
the United States each year amounts
| to the enormous sum of SAT .39l ,lS7.
Birds are now killed by human agen-
cies for three purposes only for food,
wautonly by men and boys and for mil
/ linery ornaments. For food only a
very few are shot-that is, the game
birds. and those only during restricted
portions of the year-so they do not
materially effect the result. That many
birds are destroyed wantonly is I'M
denial BILE Men who claim to be sports
men, but who are not, kill thousands
each year simply for practice i'll wing
shooting. and boys with their arma-
ment of air guns and pea shooters XIII
a far greater number than Is realized
by the public.
There is no excuse for shooting the
third class of birds, as their Value us
! millinery ornaments is far less tnan
their value as insect destroyers. Be
sides this contrast the difference III
the money value of the two Interests
that are opposed to each other by the
census of 1900 we find that the tota
capital invested in the millinery ano
lsce trade is $37 7.970.05G and the value
of the manufactured goods in lS9t
was $97 .95J 496 Place the two inter
ests side by side, $20,O0O000OOO as
against S3S,0O0000; again. an annua
product of 739000OOO as agains
sos. 600. 900. | ask and wish that coult
shout my question in a voice so lou1
and clear that every man. woman ant
child in this broad land of ours coult
hear it-Have the millinerS. with thel
paItry interests. any right to jeopardlZ'
the safety of the agricultural inter
eSts?
A difference of only per cent In th'
annual product of our farms and gar
dpns amounts to more than the entl:'
millinery and lace interest IN TN
United States. Will the farmers ant
fruit growers remain silent much Ion
ger and permit the birds. their bes
friends, to be killed that trlhing IN
terest like the millinery trade ma.
make few more dollars at the sacri
fee of so much that is beautiful q