Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1913-01-04
VALUE OF BIRDS ON FARM.
Tbev Do Little Damage and Destroy
Millions of Insects.

II has long been known that birds
are closely related to work on the
f,rm. and nowhere is their value more
rlearlv demonstrated than in their de
struction of insect life.
II Is estimated that one-tenth OF all
the products of agriculture are de
stroyed each year by insects. the an
nual loss in the United States alone
amounting to $800,000,0OO. The enor-
nifty OF these figures may be best
known by means of the following COM
oarisons. Consider for one moment
The loss of property caused by the San
francisco earthquake, and its lar
reaching results in the iinanciel world /:
We, although this loss was 100000,
l00 il is only one-half what the raw
,oes of insects cost the country each
year There are about 600 colleges
IN the United States today. The value
III the college and the university build
;nos is estimated at $260.0000 900. and
the endowments at S2l9l0OO,lDO. 1t
they should be destroyed tomorrow
buildings and endowments- the in
sect tax of one year would replace
them and leave balance sufficient to
enfow thirty-two new universities in
the sum OF Sl0.0O0,000 each.
I'VE have in this country today
about 200G0,000 school children; and
The cost OF their education has become
nv far the heaviest tax laid upon the
surplus of the country. yet II costs
more by many millions to feed our IN
seets than it does to educate our chill
dren." CThe American Field, May
II. 1912
II has been estimated that the i'm
sect-eating birds of Massachusetts
consume. 10000 bushels OF insects each
day. from May | TO September 80,
and that the remainder OF the year
about half this quantity is consumed.
and still damage done in the State an
ually is computed at S5NU,ouu
Massachusetts, is 5000 square miles IN
area. while California has an area OF
about $4,000 square miles There
fore. q similar circulation in CalIior-
MIA would show an annual loss to the
State oil nearly Sl00.0O0OO0. As this
tax is levied on the people OF the State
every year, the importance OF lessen
ing this lossis self evident
Ii is worthy Of special note that this
loss has markedly increased as GER
tain of our useful insect birds have de
creased. for. as most birds eat some
insects. and al many species live al
most wholly ON this kind OF food. IT
is in their capacity as insect destroy
ers that, they are especially useful.
There are in the United States
about 100000 different kinds OF IN
sects; they increase very rapidly. and
the vast quantities OF food consumed
by them daily is almost incredible.
II is no uncommon thing to iined the
larvae Of certain insects taking from
ten to two hundred times their own
weight each day, or what would be
equivalent to twenty-pound baby's
eating a ton OF food daily.
AS practically all forms of plant life
are attacked by insects. it can be read
lily seen that il it were not for certain
natural checks on these insects. ag-
rculiure would be ime ossiblc. In the
birds we have one OF natures best
checks on the incresae- OF insect lie.
ior in them the farmer has a trained
army of unpaid laborers whose field
OF work is so broad as to include the
soil. the plants. the trees aud the air
California Fish. and. Game Commits
sion kx