The Washington herald., 1908-07-12

or even picked cherry But II Of all
the food taken before his death 60 per
cent consisted OF the bugs and worms
which destroy crops and 20 per cent OF
good farm products. he was stHl entitled
10 live. for he was benefting humanity
by az least 10 per cent Even though such
microscopic investigation should reveal
the fact that one bird or a species did
more damage 10 fruits or grain I'm Sep
tember than 10 bugs worms. or weeds.
Il would In all probability be determined
by further work that in the spring that
same birds activities were so very bene-
fetal as 10 overbalance his depredations
OF the autumn.
But nearly ali birds are Of aid 20 man
the sea birds. the game birds, the singing
birds. all
some are doubly beneficial In that they
feed exclusively on pests and parasites.
and the appetites Of the feathered
ones are phenomenal In the breed
ing season the male works franticalIy TO
bring bugs 20 his mate. and when the
nest contains six infantile gaping mouths
the death rate In Bugdom and Parasite
vile goes up 70 enormous proportions for
a nesting bird needs 20 be fed every two
minutes, and many Of them eat their own
weight Of insect food a day: a young
robin having eaten fourteen feet OF earth
worm in twelve hours.
He was doing no good u the farmer.
then. for earthworms aid IN soil fertili-
z1tion. but during that gastronomic ex-
cess the nesting was in captivity and his
appetite was appeased that scientists
might learn.
"a ri .@N
nois say. there are 80. 900 birds resident
in that State in the summertime. it fol
lows from the work Of the biologists OF
the Department OF Agriculture that they
aid the farmers. II each destroys sixty
bugs, worms, or beetles every twelve
hours. their simple table habits record
the daily disappearance Of 1872 600
enemies OF agriculture. Something Of an
army that. to feed
II the birds worked on that ratio for
the year they would destroy 572, 425 OOl. .o0e
pests in Illinois in year. and as mary
proportionately in other States.
Are they benefactors worthy OF the
I fostering care OF a nation and entitled to
the protection Of the Star Spangled
/ Banner? They are 20 a marked degree.
and yet they have been slaughtered year
/ after year in such stupendous numbers
/ that one wonders that any are left For
game millions. yes. hundreds OF millions
/ OF birds have been killed each year. and
/ yet game birds. the quail especially. is
one Of agriculture greatest aids. over 30
I per cent OK his food being the seeds OF
weeds or the pests which annually take
money from the pockets Of the farmer.
Each year hundreds OF thousands Of
bushels OF corn and wheat are saved
I through the efforts Of these birds. and by
/ the destruction of billions Of cotton boil
weevils thousands Of bales OF cotton are
saved 10 the planters.
The huge tobacco worm which DESTROYS
the expensive leaf which Is used for
cigar wrappers are regarded as dalnties
by many birds. and millions are eaten
annually; the cutworm is another bird
dainty, and billions OF them are destroy
ed; In fact. every bug and worm that
walks or crawls about the fields. or on
the vines or trees Of the farmer. is an I'm
portant portion OF the diet of some bird
Realizing then that these pests breed by
uncountable billions and that despite the
warfare waged against them by hun
dreds Of millions OF birds. II doesn't re-
quire a particularly dome-like head 10
realize what would happen If the birds
were all to disappear
The fields OF grain would vanish before
the onslaught OF the bests as before O
prairie fire; the fruits would disappear
the trees would rot before the assaults
Of wood-borfng pests. and the American
continent would in a few years become
an arid, barren waste.
Nature planned with wondrous wisdom
when she started her machinery. and she
erred in only one regard; she failed e
give man mind enough TO know his owr
friends or to plan far enough ahead C
guard the things which were put or
earth to help him make a living
Copyright. l9os by Capital Press Association Wash
ingtOn. D. c.