New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-06
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ITALIANS NOT BIRD HATERs.
Wholesale Slaughter Said To Be Necessary to
Protect the Crops.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
SIR; a correspondent contributes a letter 10 your
paper in which he declares that no Italian has
Tor generations permitted bird to live IL he could
help IT."
II is not probable that your correspondent has
lived in Italy, among representative Italians. or
mat he has travelled extensively in their country
II seems that he has deduced his assertion from
seeing the vineyard labor ers chasing birds from
the vines in order preserve the fruit from their
ravages
Any che who knows about Italian farming is
famlhar with the fact that the contadini welcome
BIRDS after seed time and before fruit time for they
realize quite as much do the service the bird
IS TO the farmer in destroying harmful insects and
vine pests
Italy has few birds compared TO other countries
OF Europe. but this is not because the Italians
are bent, or ever have been. on bird destruction
Inc nightingale. for instance. is held IN such ven
GRAFTON by the Italians that since long before
Danteis day 10 harm OF these birds was to
provoke the wrath OF heaven. In the village OF
Borgo Ala Collina, tucked away In the valley Of
the Casentino just where the river Arno is a mere
stream. the villagers and the farmers OF the sur
rounding Tuscan country. almost unvlsited by
travellers. deal summary penalty any one who is
caught Wantonly destroying bird life
We should remember that few typical Italians
ie-ti America, that is few Italians typical OF the
repre- ntative morale OF their mother country.
NearlE all We here come OF saracenic,
descent from Caabria and Sicily These two pro-
vnces furnish one-sixtn OF Italy's population but
tie representative class OF that sixth does not
constitute the alien colony here. II your CORE
spondent has observed undue bird killing procliyi-
ties among Italians in America il should hardly
be taken as an index 10 the representative Italians
attitude toward bIrc protection.
on the other hand should not forget that
much Of Italys commercial existence depends on
protecting her produce from the harm birds may
do II. a harm greater than any benefits Her spe-
M st oh 10 On
uUally. over one-fCurth OF which has TO be pro-
tected from birds and pests. II our feathered
friends We're permitted TO pick the part of the
general exports that tempt them then Italy would
risk revenue decrease OF at least 100000 more
We are careful IN vineyards and In
our orchards. The only difference Is that We are
/ apt 20 leave 10 the futility of scarecrows that
don't scare what the Italians agility accomplishes
personally. l suppose your correspondent has
visited Italy at harvest time and was impressed
with the enormous amount OF "shooIng" an Italian
contadino IS capable OF However. had he stopped
10 investigate ne would have found that the
Italian is neither bird hater bird exter-
minator. and l sure he will be glad to be set
right in this matter. in which. may say in pass
ing. he alone has not been mistaken as many
travellers and writer's have likewise chroncled
their mistaken observations.
GARDNER c. TEALL