Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-04-03
WASTEFUL SLAUGHTER
Value of Birds Killed for Game Not
Fraction to What They Would
Save to the Nation.


affect the cost of living. The army
of men and boys who are slaughter
ing our birds are levying tribute on
every American pocketbook Do you
wish to know something about the
total that they add to the cost of
living? An immense number of
birds of great economic value are
being slaughtered annually. Many
of our best bird species are on the
toboggan slide toward determination.
The destruction of tie birds
means great increase in the armies
of destructive insects, a great de-
crease in our agricultural products,
and great loss to consumers and to
farmers.
The insect pests are preying upon
everything of the vegetable kingdom
that man is producing, and upon
many domestic animals as we'll. AS
their bird enemies decrease, the in
sect hordes increase. When 2.577,-
900 acres of wheac are destroyed in
Indiana and Ohio in one year by the
Hessian fly $1,000, does anyone be-
lieve that such an occurrence does
not raise the price of WI eat? OF
the loss to the wheat growers we are
a ahSolutalv SIRE
The codilng moth and curculio ap-
pie pests cost us about SS,250,000 a
year for spraying operations and
$12,000,000 year in shrinkage OF
value in the apple crop.
The chinch bug wheat pest some
times costs us $2O,OOO,OOO a year.
The cotton boil weevil costs the
cotton planters $lO,OOO,OOO a year
The tree insect pests cost the ma
tion 100000, 900 a year.
Tie grasshoppers, cut worms
army worms, wire worms, leaf hop
pers and other insects cost the ma.
ton, annually, more millions thar
can be counted separately but the
total for all insect pests is $420, ,100,-
600 Now, have we not paid this
price about long enough?
The value of the birds destroyed
as game and for food" is not
equal to one one-tbousandeth of the
value they would save to the national
wealth, if permitted to live.
Regarding tie slaughter of oul
birds, the increase of insect pests
and the losses they inflict upon us
the great mass of the American peo
pie are sound asleep. The situation
is illogical, absurd and intolerable
As reasoning beings it is our duty t.
take hold of this subject like men
stop the abuse, stop the disgrace anC
avoid some of the loss.
The American people do not real
ize that scores of species of the birds
that sportsmen and pot hunters are
rugularly allowed to shoot 10. Upor
are of immense value to agriculture
How many men are there, out o
every thousand, who know that a
least 80 species OF shore birds feet
upon noxious insects, and are i'm
mensely valuable to ou ragricultura
industries? The gunners who shoe
legally are destroying 154 species o
birds that legally are classed a
game birds, even in the north.
How many Americans out of ever!
thousand know the immense value o
our song birds, swallows, woodpeck
ers, blackbirds, quail, doves ant
nighthawks in destroying counties
millions of noxious insects?
There are seven states in wEicl
the robin is regularly and legally be
ing killed as game. They are Mis-
sissippi, Louisiana, Maryland Mort
Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia an
Florida.
There are five states that express
ly permit the killing of blackbird
as game: Louisiana, South Care
lima, Tennessee, District of Columbia
Pennsylvania.
Cranes are killed and eaten i
Colorado, Nevada, Nebraska, Mort
Dakota and Oklahoma.
In 26 states doves are regularl
killed as game-much to the loss @
the farmers.
The bobwhite quail is a great de
stroyer of the seeds of noXiou
weeds. In our f9una he has n
equal. And yet this fact is ignored
Throughout the north and most G
the south that species is mercilessl
shot, and as a result it is fast becom
ing extinct. In New York state
will soon be as extinct as the masto
don unless given ten-year close
season at once It's value as plenti
full game bird is gone.