The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-25
BIRDS NEED PROTECTION
 AS MUCH AS FORESTS
Elizabeth Dudderidse in New York Tri-
 bune.

Elizabeth Dudderidse in New York Tri-
 bune.
 The little people who read The Trib- une know that the beautiful trees that cover our hills and line our road sides are Constantly at war. but unless they read the papers very carefully they don't know, perhaps, that tho war Is going against the trees In this coun- try Trees have always had to fight for their lives, but before man began to interfere with nature they got on with their enemies and the situation is getting to be too much for them If we don't wake up, foresters tell us. and help the trees Instead of their enemies. we will get into all sorts Of trouble.
 At present we are not only cutting down our trees and letting them be burned up In forest fires. but we are letting insects eat them up. Before white men came to the country the birds used to eat so many insects that there were not enough left to do any great harm to the trees. but now we are killing off the birds. We think it is fun to shoot them. and women Ike to wear their dead bodies on hats and small boys sometimes like to rob their nests. Farmers, too. have long imag- ined birds to be their enemies. and Uncle Sam tells us In one of his bul. letins that cats are fond of diet of young birds and make away with great many of them Besides. we have imported some Insects from abroad without bringing theiI natural enemies with them, and so, of course. they have found much happier hunting grounds here than they eyer did at home. We also imported the Engltsh sparrow. which not only does very little work fcv us. but kills and drives of the. birds that would help us if we would let them. Altogether we are in very bad way and the Legislatures In many states are going to be asked to do something about 1t this winter In New York state every man who wants to be elected to the Legislature will be asked to tell us beforehand what he is prepared to do for the birds.
 New York ought to have begun 70 worry about it's trees years ago. but human creatures are very stupid. and usually don't move until they have to. Perhaps Now York wouldn't have begun to worry even yet 1T the gypsy moth hadn't lately crossed over the line from Connecticut. Now. the gypsy moth is a very dreadful creature. The Massachusetts state Board of Agricui- ture says that 1t is the worst insect W appetite and isn't at all particular about what it eats. When 1t can't get trees it will take grass, or almost any useful plant that we have. So It Is never likely to die of starvation. whcr- ever 1t happens to find itself. And then 1t has such large families--from 4e0 to 800 in Q nest-that when It once gets a foothold anywhere it is hard to sei ahead of 1t. Its only disadvantage is that 1t can't fly. but no wthat motor cars have begun to go about the coun- try 1t probably doesn't mind this ga much, because it gets lots or chances to steal rides.
 This little demon is an immigrant. About forty years ago e naturalist liv' ing in Medford. Mass.. brought some moths from Europe to experiment. with He caged them In netting on shrubs in his garden. but one day storm broke the netting and they got away. Since then poor Massachusetts has spent about $2,000, 600 trying to get rid of the pest, without very much success. The other New England states have spent as much more and we are told thai many millions more will have to he spent before we see the last Of the gypsy.
 Besides the gypsy moth, Massachu- setts has given us the browntah moth, The browntail also ia au immigrant. and Is believed to have come over in some rose bushes that were brought to Sommervilie, Mass, from Holland or France In the year 1890. Tae browntail is a beautiful little creature dressed in white velvet, with a brown tail and feelers. It isn't quite So de- structive as the gypsy, because It IS A little more particular about its diet. but any kind of tree except an ever green agrees with It's constitution. and 1t will destroy several hundred leaves tu a season. The mother browntail. too, has very good wings and row ing disopsition. She hasn't visited New York state yet, but may take mo- ton to do so any time.
 The Department of Agriculture in Washington has been so much alarmed by the enterprise of the browntail moth that 1t has sent to Europe For some of it's enemies-smaller insects that feed upon 1t. These will be set free in forests and orchards where the browntau has settlements. and 1t ts hoped that they will spread and hour- tsh as the moth has done.
 The gypsy and the browntail moths are the worst of the insect enemies of our trees, but unfortunately not the only ones. The elm leaf beetle has killed thousands of beautiful elns, and our fruit trees are being destroyed by insects like the tent caterpillar and the codiin moth. It Is quite plain. then that 1t Is time we were helping the trees, and. fortunately. we can help them without waiting for the Legisia- ture. Everything that helps the birds helps the trees, and every little man | and woman who lives in the country can help the birds. Uncle sam told us that there Is nothing birds like
 better than a convenient drinking and
 bathing place. and 1t Is easy to give | them this. Some of them also ltkt boxes to build their nests in. but wher
 we put up bird boxes we have tc
 watch and see that the English spar
 row does not take possession of them \ In winter birds need to be fed. MOS | of us are in the habit of thinking tha | they know how to take care of them
 selves but that is not true. Seeds an
 nuts and berries are not very pleanti | fui in winter. and insects have retire into hiding places whore the bird cknst and them So in winter the bird