The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-07
NORTH The READING.

|
Growers Journal is this article which
deals with a subject of wide and gem
eral Importance to all the people.
sit is well known that there is d.
rect relation between bird life and ag-
riculture. Birds destroy insects,
grubs, worms and other things inju-
rious to crops, and thus maintain a
balance in natures forces. Not all
worms or grubs are harmful and all
| birds do not eat the same thing, so
that with intelligence, men may know
his bird friends. These should be CIV
en- protection.
some birds eat weeds and per-
form other service, which makes them
of value to the farmer.
"Indiscriminate slaughter of birds
does injury to those who must live
| from the fruits of the soil. and our
laws for protection of bird life should
be well enforced. This cannot be done
unless farmers will themselves take
interest in enforcement of the laws.
1.-THE first step should be to learn
what birds are useful and to teach
others. Every boy should know his
friends, from the birds which are of
no service. When boys are not taught
this they are little to blame that they
do not make selection when they wish
to shoot. 1t will be better to instruct
boys in birds lore than to punish
them for doing injury, when they do
not know that they are doing injury.
1.-The farmer should see that his
sons, and the sons of his neighbors,
know the birds of his country. With
this knowledge it will be easier to pro-
tect birds. To tell a boy not to shoot
birds, without telling him why he is
not to do so, makes the command of
less effect
i There are two points in this article
which are of special importance. es-
pecially to farmers, gardeners and
horticulturists. The first is the neces-
sity of knowing what birds are help
full and what are hurtful, and the Sec
ond is that the boys should be taught
the wrong of indiscriminate bird
slaughter, even in the open season. -
The list of the useful and helpful birds
should be published in the newspapers
occasionally, so that the farmer may
know which are his friends, and it
would also be a good plan for this
knowledge to be taught in the public
schools of the country, so that the
growing youth may know what birds
he may kill without injury to plant
life.
1t is no longer a matter of theory OIL
speculation that the vast increase OF
) injurious insect life during recent
years is due to the thinning out of the
various species of birds which are
7 wholly or partially insectivorous In
their nature and habits. 1t is no long
er an academic question, but a rea
and vital one. 1t is strictly in accord
ance with the laws of nature that in
sects of all kinds multiply rapidly, an6
the natural consequence is that certain
varieties will soon become a pest il
. not kept down. 1t is becoming equally
plain that mere human effort can MOI
keep them from multiplying. During
recent years the boll-weevil and sew
eral other kinds of insects have be
come an actual and dangerous pest, Sc
4 destructive in their numbers and hab-
\ it's that they have come to be a Sc
rious and vital problem to crop rails
= ers. The same may be said of mos
E quitoes, flies and other members of thu
8 great insect family which afflict man.
\ kind, and some of which are nov
known to be disease carries beyond
Y doubt.
Man can not suppress and obIiteratt
D these pests by his own efforts, but tn,
= birds can and will do 1t If given
chance. Insects would not have in,