Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1909-07-01
THE ENGLISH SPARROW PEST.


The time is now here in which the
farmers of the several states should
act in concert and demand of their re-
spective legislatures laws looking to-
wards the final determination of this
feathered nuisance. There should be
10 compromise or truce on the part Of
the farmers in dealing with this in
solent little enemy-the destroyer Of
cereal crops and oppressor of our ma.
tive birds. Nothing short of complete
destruction of this tribe should be
tolerated in our rural districts.
Many arguments have been ad-
duced by the friends Of the sparrow
to prove that he is destroyer of in
sects harmful to the cause of agricul-
ture. However, it will be noticed that
these defenders of the sparrow have
vey few tillers of the soil in their
ranks. Most of these champions are
city dwellers or people but slightly
acquainted with the disgusting habits
of their protege.
An interview with any observing
farmer will usually suffice to convince
the most skeptical that this English
sparrow is anything but helpful to the
farmer. 1t would be extremely diff.
cult for admirers of the sparrow to
persuade the farmers whose grain
crops have been partially destroyed in
the field by this pest that he merits
friendship and protection.
Whatever may have been the value
of the sparrow as an insect destroyer
in Europe prior to his Introduction
into this country, he has woefully fall
en- from his former good estate. How
ever, the fact remains that even in the
Old World, he was and now is primar-
lily seed and grain eater and not ap
insect destroyer. His physical and
anatomical makeup prove this, and
besides all birds belonging to the spar.
row family are not given to the eat
ing of insects, to any great extent.
1t was, indeed, unfortunate for the
American farmer that the English
sparrow was brought over here. 1t was
through ignorance and misunderstood
ing of the birds real habits that he
was brought over from the Old World.
In the cities where grain cannot he
had, except in cases where it is stolen
by the feathered pests from an occa.
sional barn or stable, these foreign
invaders have descended to the level
Of common street scavengers. They
are becoming so plentiful that subur-
banites can scarcely grow any garden
truck, because almost as soon as tho
garden plants have sprOuted and ap-
pear above the ground the piratica]
sparrows is there, and before you know
it, your promising garden sass" has
gone a glimmering down into the hun
cry nav of the robber bird. He is
no good to the city, whatever, even
as an aid to the street cleaning de-
partment. Here he is a dirty nuts.
ance and filthy purveyor of fruit and
shade tree pests like the San Jose
scale.
In the country distrists, if he really
does any good as an insect eater and
destroyer of noxious weeds, the
benefit he works is more than out
weighed by the great amount of dam.
age he does by devouring grain in
the shock in crib or granary and Oh
the stalk, by running gardens and
through the dissemination of that per-
nicious orchard scourge, the San Jose
scale.
Of late. the ravages of the English
sparrow in the vicinity of our larger
cities have become rather alarming.
This Is true because of his remarkable
prolilicacy and his virtual protection
by sentimental friends who do not
understand his freebooting nature and
his ability to thrive and increase un-
der the most adverse conditions.
These reasons, coupled with the fact
that he is pugnacious, have made him
a most formidable and relentless foe
of our own valuable song birds and
insect eaters. The result is that there
is a perceptible decrease in the mum.
hers of our feathered friends.
The writer has never been more
convinced than now that nothing
short of complete determination will
ever avail in solving the problem Of
the English sparrow pest. This
should be encouraged by the enact
ment of suitable laws in this direc.
ton, such as obtains in Michigan. IN
that state, a bounty Of two cents per
dead sparrow (this bounty was for
merly cents per head.-Ed) is paid