The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-04-27
DEAD BIRDS COST HIGH.
People Pay for Loss in Crop Pest Eaters.
Living Costs Rise as Insects Spread


NEW YORK, April oath. While Easter
bonnets are parading the plumage of
birds that check crop pest, losses to food
and cloth products in the last year that
amount to over SIC for every person in
the United States have been reported
here to-day as chiefly due to the destruc-
ton of these feathered insect eaters.
According to statistics just gathered by
the government biological survey at
Washington, officers of the National
Association of Audubon Societies declare
that the cost of living has been raised to
cover billion dollar loss in agricultural
produce from the inroads of insects and
rodents that would be largely wiped out
if their natural bird foes were protected
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 ulti-
mate consumer for vegetables, fruit,
cotton cloth and many other necessary
staples, it is predicted.
On last years cotton crop alone loss
of between $25, 900, 900 and $50, 900, 900 is
shown to be borne by every one who buys
bit of cotton goods, principally 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,
ornithologists report that bird life is be-
coming so wasted throughout the whole
cotton belt that the boil weevil may soon
spread over every plantation with little
opposition from the natural forces that
help to hold it in check. Every dollars
worth of such damage that the bird
guards could prevent, it is pointed out,
must come in pennies from the pockets
of the American people.
Almost every article of food except
meat has been found to come to the con-
sumer today with an added cost to cover
many millions OF dollars of loss that the
government experts have proved is large
ly due to the increasing lack of insect
eating birds to drive away the pests that
are spreading over the fields. Such sta
Piles as corn are now known to fall short
of a supply that means lower prices, ir
some measure, on account Of the deple-
ton of the wild birds and the consequent
Increase in their noxious insect prey. II
the orch ards, gardens and plantations Of
America were not being guarded by
fewer and fewer of these insect eaters
each year, the records show, their yielo
would be increased and the price of theil
products lowered.
Though the Easter season is sadden.
ed by the sight of wild bird feathers or
bonnets, there is this year a plain eco.
nomic reason for revolt at this show ir
the findings of the government experts
of the Department of Agriculture, sale
I. Gilbert Pearson, secretary of the Ma.
tional Association Of Audubon Societies,
at its headquarters, al Broadway, to-
day. "We have just heard of the butch
ering of II, 900 meadow larks, whose diet
is proved to consist rs per cent of croE
destroying insects, in one Georgia com
munity. For every one of such insect
eaters that is killed we must all pay ir
increased costs of food and clothing
When Americans come to realize this
we believe they will all join with us ir
working for the protection of the birds
whose life means agricultural prosperity
and plenty"