The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-11
DEAD BIRDS COST HlGH
People Pay for Loss of Crop
 Pest Eaters
IAxine Costs Rise As Insects Spread Cotton, Corn and Garden Truck
 Affected

New York. April 11.-While Easter bonnets are parading the plumage or birds that check crop pest, losses to food and cloth products in the last year that amount to over S10 for every person in the United States have been reported here to-day as chiefly due to the destruction of these feathered in sect eaters According to staGstlcs just gathered by the government bio logical survey at Washington, oIncers of the National Association of Audu- bon societies declare that the cost of living has been raised to cover billion dollar loss in agricultural pro duce from the fnroads Of insects ana rodents that would be largely wiped out if their natural bird foes were pro tected from the feather men, market butchers and pot hunters. Every year that such commercial interests are allowed to thin the ranks of the insect eating species higher prices must be paid by the ultimate consum- CT for vegetables, fruit. cottor ciotn and many other necessary staples, IL IS predicted.
 on last years cotton crop alone a loss between s25 COG. 900 and $30,O00,O coo is shown to be borne by every one who buys a bit of cotton goods, prlnclpai- Iy because the birds that destroy this pest are being killed. While Louisiana, Texas. Mississippi, Missouri. Alabama and Arkansas are now impregnated with this costly crop plague, ornithol- ogists report that bird life is pecom- ing SO wasted throughout the whole cotton belt that the boil weevil may soon spread over every plantation with little opposition from the natural for ces that help to hold it in check. Ev- cry dollars worth of such damage that the bird guards could prevent, II is pointed out, must come in pennies from the pockets of the American peo- pie.
 Almost every article of food except meat has been found to come to the consumer to-day with an added cost to cover many millions of dollars ot loss that the government experts have proved is largely due to the increas- ing lack of insect-eating birds tc drive away the pests that are spread ing. over the fields. Such staples as corn are now known to fall short oi supply that means lower prices, 1T some measure on account of the de pletion of the wild birds and the con- seQuent increase in their noxlous m sect prey. If the orchards, fields gardens and plantations of America were not being guarded by fewer ant fewer of these insect eaters eacf year. the records show, their yielc would be increased and the price o1 their products lowered.
 Though the Easter season Is sad dened by the sight of wild bird feath CTS on bonnets. there is this year z plain economic reason for revolt a this show in the findings of the gov ernment experts of the Department O. Agriculture" said T. Gilbert Pearson secretary of the National Association of Audubon Societies at it's headquar <ers, Al Broadway, to-day. We hav' just heard of the butchering of II, 0oo meadow larks, whose diet is prov ed to consist of 75 per cent. of crol destroying insects. in one Georgi; community For every one of sucl insect eaters that is killed We mus all pay in increased costs of food ant clothing When Americans come t. realize this. we believe they will al join with us in working for the pro lection of the birds whose life mean agricultural prosperity and plenty