The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-15

less world! Have you ever asked the question, or had it W asked of you? And what did you answer, or hay answered you?
 Sometimes boys (and girls, too, oc casionally, we deeply regret to say) kill wantonly the beautiful feathered creatures that fit about the farm yard and the orchard. And some times they go farther afeld to do their murderous work-for it is noth- ing short of murder to kill the forest birds.
 Now, if we stop to ask the ques- tion about what our world would be like without birds. and would pay close attention to the reply we must inevitably receive, we would do all in our power to prevent the killing of birds. If from no other motive than a selfish one. Indeed. we should have very sorry time of 1t without the birds to help us to protect our crops from Natures natural destroy CTS. Man may rid himself of rab- bits, wolves and other such destroy CTS. for they go on all fours and can be trapped or easily killed. But in sects! They are to be counted in the billions, and owing to their peculiar characteristics, man alone could not rid himself of such pests. They would eat his garden and fields, ruin his fruit He would starve for want of the things which the insects would take from him. But the birds, bless them! look after that problem for the farmer, and in helping to protect the farmer they do a great work for the entire world. for 1t is from agriculture that we obtain our bread and meat and vegeta bles and fruit Suppose all the birds were killed off next spring about planting timei Well, there would be no har- vest. or so little of it that not one fourth of the people could be fed. Fruit, gardens fields, all would go to the multitudinous insects that would increase very rapidly owing to the abundance of food and the lack of their natural enemy, the birds. We l quote from a writer on the subject of "A Birdless World":
 Insects would increase so rapidly 1 that were they unchecked by birds we i might expect a great plague of cater | pillars, beetles, bugs and other in- l furious insects. And the increase of injurious insects would be followed by an irruption of insects that feed upon | them, and the air would be filled with ! ichneumon flies, gnat-like parasitic i insects, and others too numerous to mention. The ground would be car l peted with predacious beetles. bugs and spiders. Every tree and bush would swarm with them, and all vege- tation would be enmeshed in spiders webs The increase of insects would also bring on an increase in toads and l bats and snakes. for they largely feed upon insects. These ugly creatures would take the place in a measure of l the beautiful birds and the world would become inhabited with snakes, 1 bats. mice, spiders, and numerous other unhealthy and unlovable crea- lures that now are In small mum i bers.
 l Therefore, in view of what our world would be like without birds, it l behooves us to look after the welfare 1 of those pretty creatures that are of such vital use to us. Even without l the genuine love of birds-which
 ought to fill every boys and girls 1 heart--our children should form an army to protect the birds, for In turn, l the birds protect them. When the autumn has turned to winter. they | should see to 1t that food is scat l tered broadcast for the birds that re-
 main with us. Of course, most of our forest birds migrate to warmer cli-
 mates, but there are many that re- main and face our long, cold winters, when no insects are abroad for them to feed upon, and everywhere lies deep carpet of snow. Then 1t is that the children in country, village and 1 town can come to the relief of the dear little birds by throwing about
 where they can get 1t bits of food. From every table can be gathered daily enough food for host of birds, for their appetites are not large. A few crumbs will make a bird a din ner.