The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-01-20
VALUE OF BIRDS
FOR FARMERS
H. A. PERSHING FORMERLY
OF PLYMOUTH MAR
RATES HIS VIEWS.
Humane Society Says Feathered
Creatures Rid Crops from
Insects.

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II the humane society, according
to its members. is to help the
farmers to realize how valuable
are the birds which they are in
some instances SO prone 10 de-
stroy. 1t is pointed out that the
eirds, even though all may MOI
De beautiful songsters. are among
the most valuable OF the farmers
,ooperators. Their Importance in,
-idding crops from inspects held
50 far more valuable to the farm.
FRS than tae chicken or two which
nay be destroyed by them is a
letriment. In an inlerview bn
Friday Henry y. Pershing, for
nerlv OF Plymouth, secretary OF
the South Bend Humane society.
said concerning the subject:
IF there is ony one thing that
he farmer should do, it is to be a
friend to the birds, for if there
we're no birds there would be no
'rops. If | was farmer ! would
not allow a bird. hawk or crow TO
oe killed on my land. for the
reason that their value as destroy
RS OF insects, cut worms, grass
'loppers, rats and mice is simply
invaluable. If the owls were al
killed. the fields of the farmer
'vorld soon be eaten up with the
nice OF course. once in a while
IN owl may kill a chicken, but
that is small pay for the good
work ne does the farmer in the
killing OF mice, rats and insects
Yet nearly thousands of useful
owls are killed by the farmer be-
,ause he does not apr eciate how
Useful an ally they are in his
work.
Some states have even so lit
lie understood the value of the
owl as to offer bounties for their
leads. thus inviting heavy losses
10 farmer through the increased
lumber of rats, mice and insects
which it is the special work Of
these birds to hold in check"
owls are even greater NOUS
ers than cats. especially when
hey have broods to feed and one
owl was seen to catch II mice
IN less than an hour. They eat
them whole. boiling them at one
swallow The common barn owl
does mot eat poultry, but the
farmers shoot them on sight thro'
ignorance of this fact.
If ] were a farmer | should
encourage the owls to build ~
ny land and near my barns.
Careful Study Made.
"The government has made a
.areful study of owls and has ex-
9mined the StOmachS OF hundreds
OF them and out of two hundred
and fifty discovered that one hun
1red contained insects, ninety-one
nice. and the remainder contain
ed spiders, crawhsh, earth
worms. fish. lizards, few birds.
put only one contained poultry,
while forty-three were empty.
why then, in view of all that is
economic and humane, should
this valuable friend and ally of
the farmer be SO persistently
shot by the very farmers them
Selves?'
But | am pleased to state that
the farmers are becoming better
posted o nthe birds and their use
fulness and some day | hope they
will allow no>one to kill a single
bird of any description on their
premises.
National Reservation.
There are now only about GO
national bird reservations where
birds dare not be shot, but / trust
some day the farmers of America
will wake up and put a stop to
the slaughter of his best friends
and make their farms private bird
sancturies where the millions OF
insect eating quails, robins, crows
and blackbirds also hawks and
owls can carry on their good
work safe from the gunner who