The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-12-11
FRIENDS To THE FARMERS
Migratory Birds Save Him Millions.
Persistent Enemies of All
Insect Pests

tion Congress- a vigorous nation wide
campaign is being made for the pro-
lection of insectiverous birds, regard
less of whether they come under the
head Of game birds" or not.
To accomplish this the committee
contemplates legislation by the pres
ent Congress resulting in the enact
ment of a federal law protecting all
migratory birds.
Circulars have been sent broadcast
throughout the land, setting forth the
evils that have arisen from the whole
sale slaughter of birds and urging in
strong terms that the people demand
that their representatives in Wash
ington support the bill that is cham
pioned by Senator Mclean and is even
now before Congress.
Astonishing Figures
Some astonishing facts are set forth
in the circular, among these being the
amazing information that the loss to
the nation through the destruction
wrought by insect life reaches the
colossal sum of S42O, 1O0,0 900.
1t is estimated that something like
100000 men and boys are slaughter
ing birds annually and that through
this butchery is a tribute of vast pro-
portions being levied upon the national
pocketbook. To this tax is attributed
to a great extent the high cost of liv-
ing. 1t is also pointed out that many
of the best bird species are on the to-
boggan slide down which have already
passed the dodo, the apteryX, the Es-
kimo curlew and others.
Three important results follow the
destruction of bird life: A great in
crease in the armies of destructive in
sects; a great decrease in our agri-
cultural products, and an enormous
loss to consumers and farmers.
Wheat Crop Destroyed
Some idea Of the harm that insects
do to crops may be formed from the
fact that in the year 1900 more than
900, 900 acres of wheat were destroy
ed in Ohio and Indiana by the Hes
sian fly.
Recently the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture made a study OF
the losses throughout the country due
to the ravages of insects Cotton
suffers to the extent of s60,000,000, and
truck crops are damaged s53,O00.OOO
worth. Cereals lead with yearly
damage of 5000, 200, 900.
Here in the South the boil weevil
costs the cotton planter over S20,00O,OOO
every year. The tree insects do dam
age throughout the country that
amounts to s100,0OO.0O0. And so the
heavy toll increases until it rolls up
| to proportions that are enough to
stagger the average mind.
The Task of the Birds
1t is the task of the birds to cut
down this terrible loss to the farmers.
and others engaged in pursuits in
which this loss is felt. The value of
birds destroyed as game" and for
food" is less than .OO1 part of the
value they would have to the nation If
permitted to live and war upon the
insects.
| While it is at once apparent that
the birds which sportsmen are yearly
permitted to kill are of immense value
to agriculture, comparatively few peo-
pie have so far given the matter seri-
Gus thought. There are, in this coun-
| try, some thirty species of shore-birds
that feed on noXious insects and are of
untold worth to the farmer. Song
birds, swallows, woodpeckers, black
birds, quail. doves and nighthawks,
also destroy countless millions of in
isects every year.
| According to the circular issued by
the committee, the South is annually
the scene of the slaughter of millions
of insect eating birds. Around every
| island" says the circular, during the
robin season, in January when the
! berries are ripe, at least 10000 robins
are slaughtered daily for the pot. Ev-
! cry negro man and boy who can raise
a gun is after them"
Birds that Are "Game"
| The classification or various birds
as game" is interesting as interpreted
in the different states. For instance,
seven states, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia and Flor da, list the robin in
this class. Five states, Louisiana,
South Carolina, Tennessee, District of
Columbia and Pennsylvania, permit
the blackbird to be killed as game
Cranes are killed and eaten in Colo
rado, Nevada, Nebraska, North Da-
kota and Oklahoma. In twenty-six
states doves are killed as game, to the
great loss of the farmers.
! The quail has no equal, according to
the naturalists, as a destroyer of nox-
ious weeds. Yet the quail is fast be-
coming extinct.
| Must Stop Slaughter
! And so it goes. The friends of the
national law protecting all migratory
birds say that there must be no more
slaughter by sportsmen and pot hunt
ers. In closing its appeal for support
! of the law the circular says:
The only way in which all these
valuable migratory birds can be saved
to us is through the strong arm of the
national government and a federal law
for the protection of all migratory
birds. Protection of game birds alone
will not answer. Too many other birds
are being killed, especially in the
south