The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-07-10
BEAUTIFUL SHADE TREE ALMOST De
FOLIATED BY THE RAvAGES OF THE BAG
WORM.

BEAUTIFUL SHADE TREE ALMOST De
FoLIATED BY THE RAVAGES OF THE BAG
WORM
ed by these same men that if some
| thing is not done a period of fifteen to
thirty years will see an end to vege-
| table existence in our country, with a
result more fatal to all animal life than
was the scourge of lOcuSts at one time
calamity to the ancient Egyptians.
! Every park should be filed with the
song of the insectivorous birds and not
| merely with the din and chatter of the
pestiferous English sparrow. Two
! hundred millions of dollars are lost
, each year to the farmers and fruit
growers of the country through the
ravages of insects. Speaking on the
basis of average alone, that means
that if 4 farmer raises crops during
| the year which potentially would total
in value $1,000 gross he must actually
pay 5000 of that gross return to the
insects. In other words, one-tenth of
| our agricultural wealth is yearly paid
to meet the levy made by the insects
If the state were to levy a 10 per cent
tax what glorious capital it would make
for the honorable political spellbinders
of the opposing party! The figures Civ
en- are taken from statistics furnished
by our United States division of Orni-
thology.
There has long been agitation and
even an organized movement astir hav-
ing in view the protection of birds
! The idea has been good, the work n
noble one and in a degree successful.
and yet in spite of our splendid Au-
dubon society of national scope our
peril in this matter is greater than
ever. We have come TO the time when
we must consider birds and their value
not from a sentimental side, but from
the standpoint of a practical business
proposition If we restore our native
birds we will protect our great natur-
nj wealth. But If we slothfully disre-
gard the matter and wait for our
doom it will come, and come quickly
too, on the wings of predacious insects
4 new organization called the Res
toration Band Of America" having for
trees" has recently sprung into being
This organization aims to become M
tional in scope, with branches In ev-
cry state, and is rapidly growing, re
ceiving the Endorsement and support
Of the people everywhere. Branches
have already been organized in sew
eral states under state articles Of in
corporation, showing that the underly-
Ing purpose is a serious one. The Res
toration Band of America aims to edu-
cate the child, and there may soon be
time when in this respect the son will
be father to the man" in that the
growing generation will make the ear
lier generation think and carry into
action a splendid idea.
The live wire park superintendent
and the public spirited citizen who is
actively interested in the management
Of the park should have something
more in mind than accomplishing the
mere routine details Of their work.
Back Of all the ordinary commonplace
Of the daily work should be a high pur-
pose. Resolve TO be an educator, a
public spirited man, that you may be
secure in your position and In the es-
timation and gratitude of your en-
foyers, the public, through your ag-
gressive interest in the restoration of
sur native birds.