The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-03-03
BIRDS OR BUGS
WHY FARMERS SHOULD PREFER
THE FORMER.
The Useless destruction Of Birds
Allows Injurious Insects to Mul

While the birds are generally neg
lected and often wantonly killed,
it is clear that the kinds Of wild birds
that do the farmer more good than
harm are much more numerous than
is generally supposed, says C,ssM.s
scherer, in the Progressive Farmer.
Birds are often detested for working
among crops, when they are there
hunting something harmful to the:
crops; when they are there helping
the farmer make better crops than a J
he possibly could without them.
Some Of the helpful birds occasional
ly eat little of the crop, but they
will at the same time do so much
good that the balance is in their;
favor from the standpoint Of good
farming. q Ss.ss53:.53
This is true for the ordinary farm
er and for the one who is making az
specially of truck or Iruit. Bugs and
worms ara the enemies that reduce;
the harvest oe the farmer; and the
birds are the enemies Of the bugs
and worms. Nothing can take the
place of the birds in this good work.
With the exception Of a few small;
four-footed creatures, birds and bugs
and worms are the only wild crea-s
lures that persist in a thickly popu-s
lated territory. On the one side.
are the birds as mans friend, and on.
the other: side are the others as the.
enemies Of man. So .z,ii!.:;z 4 ..
All States should have laws to-
protect mans friends, the birds; and
the laws should be enforced unless
there is a strong public sentiment;
in favor Of them. AS owners or
workers of the land, the attitude OF:
the farming population viii be high;
Iy important. Each farmer can sug-;
gest to those who represent him in
his legislature, that he wants his
friends to have the benefit OF fa-;
7orab1a laws. That is one thing
each farmer can do. Each farmer
can also post his land, giving notice
tnat hunters are not to trespass, pro-
vided he has 1aw1on his side; and in
most States he will have. - So
Every fruit grower has a vital in.
terest in protecting the birds, be-
cause without them insect enemies
Of fruit and truck would soon be-
come almost uncontrollab They.
are serious enough now, as every
orchardist has realized. s,2szss.
Birds are not slow to learn where
they are hunted and where they are:
not, and will tend to increase in
those places where they are safe. By
the means of this habit Of theirs, a
farmer can do something to make
birds more numerous near his crops,
in which the birds can go out and
kill mans enemies. 80, 81.
It is queer condition Of public
sentiment that protects game for
the pleasure Of sportsmen and does
not give protection to birds that are
helpful to farmers, the largest class
Of citizens in the country. May the
day come when those who live under
laws favorable to the protection OF
birds will help see that such laws
are strictly enforced; and when those
who do not live under. such laws
now will bring pressure to bear to
have such laws passed.
There is more than sentiment in
protecting birds there is money In
it for the farmer. It will depend
mostly on the farmer whether laws
project the birds and him. The
sportsmen are far less numerous,
but they have usually found little
difficulty in getting their wishes put
into the form Of laws. VIII the big
gest class Of citizens in the country,
the farmers, demand what is good
for them?