The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-05-14

1 ~SSS
showing in vine planting and in grow
| ing flowers and vegetables. The chill
dren have entered into the scheme
with enthusiasm. All unsightly sheds,
| fences, walls and stumps have been
| yelled with vines, front yards have
blossomed and back yards have yield
ed stores of vegetables. The state
superintendent of schools has recon-
mended the adoption of this plan in
every city and town in Missouri
A small pamphlet, descriptive of
the work, can be obtained by writing
to the school superintendent at Car
thage.
The United States Consular Re-
ports, Vol. 20, part 2, to be obtained
from the superintendent of documents
at Washington, give an account Of the
! methods in use in the country schools
Of Germany for combining instruction
in gardening with the ordinary school
education, methods which it might
be we'll for our small towns and vii
lagos to engraft upon their own pub
lie school system.
The vacation school garden, as an
outgrowth of the summer playground
and the vacation school, has been a
success in several of our large cities.
/ The Philadelphia school garden COM
mittee for 1904 reports that the value
of the gardens does not lie in the size
or number of the vegetables raised,
but in the effect upon the character
of the children. Public order has i'm
proved, and arrests for juvenile crime
have been decidedly fewer in the
neighborhood Of the gardens An IL
Illustrated report on the Philadelphia
school gardens can be obtained from
Mr.. Andrew w. Crawford, Stephen
Girard building, Philadelphia, and
three pamphlets on the school garden
movement have been issued by the
American Civic Association.
The Village Improvement socitey of
Cambridge, N. y, has set good ex-
ample of civic helpfulness by con-
Quoting systematic warfare against
the caterpillar. Through the co-ope-
ration of the principals of the public
schools they have secured the assist
ance of the school children, to whom
they pay ten cents quart for CO.
coons. AS result the caterpillar
pest has been abolished in Cambridge.
Children are almost invariably inter-
ested in the animal life around them,
and If they we're duly instructed in
the natural history of the caterpillar
and taught to destroy every cocoon
within reach, our trees might be spar
ed many plague.
The public cannot learn too soon
not to trust to the English sparroys
which, imported to war upon the
caterpillar, have utterly failed to do
the work and, instead, have them
selves become a serious nuisance.
They have taken possession of every
city in the land, have drievn off the
native birds and are now becoming
a menace to the farmer. They multi
ply with appalling rapidity, having
in some localities six broods a year.
They are really a species of vermin
and have been aptly called ''the rats
of the air." The international Orni-
biological society, at their congress
in London, in 1905, advised relentless
war upon the sparrow as the enemy
of agriculture.
The agriculture department of the
United States government, in bull
letin on this subject, says: "The Eng
lish sparrow is curse of such viru-
lence that it ought to be systematical-
ly attacked and destroyed before it
becomes necessary to deplete the pub
lie treasury as has been done in other
countries"
Laws are advised legalizing the
killing of the English sparrow and
the destruction of it's nests, eggs and
young at all seasons of the year, and
making 1t misdemeanor, punishable
by fine and Imprisonment, to give 1t
food or shelter. The appointment is
suggested of at least one person in
every town and village who shall act
as professional sparrow killer. Pub
licity should also be given to the fact
that the sparrow is an edible bird
and makes an excellent pie.
The city of Boston has been doing
something toward the destruction of
these pests, but has been hampered
by the mistaken sympathy of the pop
ula"e, who still believe, in the face
Of all evidence, that sparrows are the
foes to caterpillars. A copy of this
issued by the agricultural de-
partmert should be In every club