East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-11-07
GOVERNMENT SEES
VALUE OF BIRDS
MAY ESTABLISH PRESERVE
FOR FEATHERY HORDES
Department of Agriculture Tells Of
Advantages Gained in War Wagcd
Against Insects by Protecting and
Encouraging Little Winged Visitors.
az Frances Moreland.l }


The tide seems to beturnlng in ia
vor of the birds and every impulse
that affords enthusiasm in that direc-
ton should be hailed with hope for
the millenial when the feathered tribe
those harbingers of JOY, shall sit in
the trees and vines, not afraid Of their
human (humane) brothers.
There is encouragement in the fact
that a few weeks ago Fred NJ. Ollie.
of Denver, Colo, went to Conconuny,
Wash, to inspect the reservoir Of the
government irrigation project with a
view to making recommendation to
he department of agriculture, which
he represents. concerning the estab-
lishment Of bird preserve in the vi
cnity of the reservoir. After a thor
Ough examination of the conditions,
Mr.. Ollie said that he would recon-
mend that the government take hold
of the propagation If the various
kinds Of birds that will thrive in that
climate, in addition to the protection
of the hundreds Of other varieties Of
the feathered tribe 70 be found
there.
Recently a man in klamath county
oregon. decided 5000 acres of wooded
land to be maintained exclusively and
permanently as a bird preserve.
The establishment of bird pre-
serves is good news for the farmer
and hOrticulturist William L. Fin
( ley, a prominent writer on the sub
ject of American birds, says in a re-
/ cent article in Success Magazine, that
4 without the help of our wild birds
/ farming would be impossible. No
other farmhands could accomplish
! the work entrusted to the birds. The
wild birds of orchard, field and for
est are natures check upon the in
/ crease Of insect life.
With the great handicap Of bird de-
struction in our present day the loss
from insect and rodent pests in the
United States the present year is es-
/ timated to be 100000 900 This loss
can be reduced only when a public
sentiment is aroused for proper bird
/ protection. The practical farmer
cannot afford TO ignore the relations
that wild birds bear to his crops, foE
they are part of the natural resour-
ces of any farm.
Birds work more in conjunction
with man to help him than does any
other form of outdoo- life. They po-
lice the earth and air, and without
their services the farmer would be
helpless. Larks. wrens and thrushe:
search the ground for grubworms ant
insects. The food of the meadow larl
consists of 10 per cent of injurious in
sects and u per cent of weed seed
showing it to be a bird of great eco
nomic value.
Sparrows. finches and quail eat
large amount of weed seed. Prac
tically all the food of the tree spar
row consists of seed. Examinations b!
Professor F E. L. Beal of the Bio
logical Survey of the department o
agriculture, show that a single tre'
sparrow will eat a quarter of an ounce
of weed seed daily. In one state alone
tree sparrows will consume more THAI
500 tons of weed seed annually, thu
saving the farmer an immense am
cunt of work.
Chickadees scan every part o.
trunks and limbs of trees for insec
eggs. In a days time a chickade'
will eat hundreds of insect eggs anC
worms that are harmful to our tre
and vegetables. Fly-catchers, swal
lows and nighthawks are busy da!
and night catching flies that bother
man and beast. Hawks and owls arr
workings silently in light and dark
ness to catch moles. mice, gopher'
and squirrels.
A number of years ago blackbird
were exceedingly abundant through
eastern Nebraska, and the farmer
believed they were damaging crop
so they poisoned the birds. In th'
year that followed, swarms of grass
hcppers took their place and fev
fields of grain escaped damage an'
devastation. Where the birds wer
permitted to remain. fair crops wer
secured solely through the assistanc
of the birds
Rostrand, in his famous play
"ChantecIer," speaks for the birds:
80 God of birds!
Who breathed into our wings to max
us light.
And painted them with colors Of hi
sky,
All thanks for this fair day. for mea
and drink
Sweet sky-born water caught in cup
Of stone.
Sweet hedgerow berries washed o
dust with dew.
And thanks for these good little eye
of ours
That spy the unseen enemies Of man
And thanks for the good tools b
thee bestowed
: Z
Trowels and pruning hooks of livin
horn,
! Tomorrow We will fight hOrer an