Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-07-24
PLEA FOR THE BIRDS,
Why A. H. Howell Urges Ts,,
The, Be Saved.
MANY KILL BOIL wEEyls
eiolos 7urvsy Expert Tell, #.
South Need OF Thsn-Prs,,s,,,.
Cotton Industry the K,yno,. a, a.,
Warning From Washinston

Protection for the birds Of The In,
ed States is being urged IN the l,or-,
zeal survey Of the department of .,'
culture. The economic importa,,.
such protection 60 the cotton lnar...-
is pointed out in a recent clrculs, =.
pared by Arthur II. Howell assis,,,.
in the biological survey. who has !
recent months made u minute Sind, >
the extent 10 which the boil wssril /.
destroyed by birds.
Something over a year ago The III,
logical survey took this matter m 81,
sent out literature urging bird rro,.,
ton. Ii was pointed out that The -,
dents in the northern states could A.
great service TO the south by seeing +,
ii that the birds that nest in the ps-,h
ern attitudes IN spring and summa,
and 20 10 the south IN winter v.,.
shielded from destruction. The ipta,.
est awakened in this matter was gras,
ana there was eager Response from
farmers. school children and orban
Now. says the Washington corgesperi.
ent of the New York Globe, in the ljy5
of more recent investigations shown,
that the boil weeyil is DESTROYED lar
birds TO greater extent than was Al
first realized. another plea for the pr.
lection of the birds Is being but forth
The region now infested BY the COT.
ton boil weevil includes the greater
part OF the cotton growing area Of
Texas and Louisiana and parts Of Ok.
lahoma, Arkansas ANA MiSSlssippi
Texas and Louisiana produced in 1870
more than 100000 bales of cotton
valued al upward of $27G,0O00OO. The
loss caused by the boil weeyil is va.
riously estimated ut from 10 to 80 per
cent of the crop. or even more in bad.
ly infested areas. Even at the low.
est reasonable estimate the loss to
the cotton planters Of Texas and Lou.
isiana from the ravageS Of the pest
yearly aggregates many millions As
the weevil extends Its range eastward
into the more humid regions Of The
lower Mississippi valley, the damage
1t does will be prOportionately greater
than In the drier regions to the west
ward.
investigations conducted by the bio
logical survey on the food habits Of
birds in Louisiana In January and
February, 1908, showed that more
birds were feeding upon the weeSIls
and that many more weeviIs were de-
stroyed by them than in any Of the
western localities where birds have
been collected at corresponding sea
son. The destruction of weeyllS IN
winter Is much more important than
( In summer, since the death OF every
weeyil at that season prevents the Pm
duction of a highly numerous progeny
In the early summer and pOStpOnes Tue
date when the increase will become 50
great as to destroy the cotton squares
as fast as they appear
The service rendered by the vast
army of birds which occupies Tue to'
ton plantations of the south uuFlls
the winter months" says Mr., Ho"el+
lis only beginning to be appreciates
During the first season in when OiFu'
were studied in their relation 10 In'
weevil only twenty species were VA
covered to feed upon the insect alu
it was supposed the influence OF onu'
in keeping down the pest was s'sn.
Later Investigations, however carFeO
on during several years and at all sea,
sons have shown that no less Juan
ffty-three species of native birds leeu
upon the pest, many Of them aeS''U'
ing large numbers Of wee'iIS uu'iD .4'
the most critical period OF the lHse'''
life-winter and early spring
Various kinds of blackbIrds neau
ow larks, sparrows, pipits or 'l'la'a -,
wrens and titmice are meh'lo'eu Ill Ill
useful in the destruction OF Tue WV an
weevil, and many other well An W.
birds. such as the oriole, the S""' H.,
and the mockingbird. are IN Tue '',,
of those that feed upon TIE pe'' V
the cotton regions.