The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-02-25
BIRDS OR BUGS?
Why the Farmers Should Prefer the
Former.

While the birds are generally neg
llected 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. M.
Scherer, in the Progressive Farmer.
Birds re: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
he possibly could without them.
Some of the helpful birds occasional
ly eat a little of the crop, but they
will at the same time do so much
good that the balance is in tne:r
favor from the standpoint of good
farming.
This is true for the ordinary farm
er and for the one who is making a
speciality of truck or fruit. Bugs and
worms arm the enemies that reduce
the harvest of 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 few small,
four-footed creatures, birds and bugs
and worms are the only wild crea-
lures that persist in a thickly popu-
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.
All States should have laws to
protect mans friends, the birds; and
the laws should be enforced unless
there is strong public sentiment
in favor of them. AS owners or
workers of the land, the attituda of
the farming population will be high
ly important. Each farmer can sug-
gest to those who represent him in
his legislature, that he wants his
friends to have the benefit of ia
vorabDa 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 law on his side; and in
most States he will have.
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 uncomfortable. They
are serious enough now, as every
orchardist has realized.
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.
It is a 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. 1t will depend
mostly on the farmer whether laws
protect 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. Will the big
gest class of citizens in the country
the farmers, demand what is good
! for them?