The San Francisco call., 1910-11-13

OF the United States called the gov
ernors of all the states together and
told them 1t was time to call q halt;
time to consider those who are to come
after us; time to begin reforesting the
regions that we have devastated; time
to economize in the use of soil, coal, oil
and natural gas; time to begin to fos-
ter our water supply, not only for
power and lighting purposes, but for
supplying with water the great cities
that are growing greater and more
numerous every day
NEGLECTED THE BIRDS
But the president made a serious
mistake in not having included in the
work he cut out at that conference of
governors the preservation of wild an
imals and birds. Not word was said
in his call or in the subsequent meet
ing of this important asset.
1 regard these as among th6N most
important of our resources. Espe-
cially is this true of the nsectivorous
birds. Scientists in the employ Of the
government have computed that insects
are costing the farmers of this coun
try 81 900, 100000 a year, and this de-
struction is due to the entirely reckless
and wicked slaughter of insect eating
birds.
The cotton growers of Texas are los
ing $40,000,000 to $50.000. 900 a year on
their cotton crops as result of the
work of an insect known as the cotton
boil weevil which bores into the cot
ton boil and kills it.
The farmers OF the middle and east
ern states are paying out $14,00O,00O to
SIS, 100000 a year for paris green to
put on their potato vines And why?
Because the birds that formerly preyed
on this insect and kept it under sub
Aax, l1an 1T ln1 off
Each of the great apple producing
states is paying out $1.000,000 to
S3,0O0,O00 a year for spraying apple
trees to keep down the coddling moth,
otherwise known as the apple worm.
And all because the birds that for
merly preyed on this insect have been
killed.
A few years ago a scientist in Massa-
chusetts imported some Egyptian
moths with view to trying to pro-
duce silk from them. A dozen or SO
of them escaped from the box in which
he kept them. This was in summer
time. A window was open and the
bugs got out Of the house. II the
robins, the meadowlarks the black
birds and other birds that formerly
were there in millions had been there
at that time they would have made
short work of those bugs But they
were not. They had been killed and
the skins of thousands of them had
been worn by women on their hats.
So the bugs had their own way.
They increased rapidly. In few days
there were hundreds of them; in few
weeks there were thousands of them.
The next spring there were millions of
them.
The state legislature appropriated
100000 and put out large force of
men TO spray the trees and try to kill
the moths or to keep them from spread
ing. Up to date that state has appro-
priated and expended more than $780,
900 in this fight, and instead of eradi
eating the evil it has spread into Yer
mont New Hampshire, Rhode island,
Connecticut and last fall 1t made Its
is moving like a great army to the
southwark and to the. westward 1t is
likely to go to the Pacific and to the
gulf of Mexico and to devastate the
entire country just as 1T has already
devastated Massachusetts,.
In order that the birds may have
chance to increase In future and again
become plentiful there is urgent need
that every friend of humanity should
exert himself or herself to the utmost
in their behalf We need further legis-
lation in many of the states; I'VE need
more game wardens to enforce the laws
we already have and those that may
be enacted in future.