Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-28
100 feet of fox den and none Of
them were molested.
The Mink.

~ &
While the mink feeds on flesh,
musseis and birds, 1t is indefatiagable
in its search for meadow mice and
other marsh-loving rodents. 1t is
very fond Of muskrats and one Of its
most important services to man Is its
destruction Of these pests about mill
dams, canals and dikes, where their
burrows undermine the embankment
and cause disastrous overfows.
The Weasel.
( The weasel is one of natures most
efficient checks upon the hordes Of
meadow mice and other rodents
which at times destroy forage crops,
orchards, vineyards and garden pro-
ducts. It feeds also upon rabbits.
squirrels and birds. but in many sec
tions it's occasional inroads on the
poultry yard have brought 1t into
serious disrepute. While 1t Is Of
course desirable to kill particular in
dividuals which have acquired the
poultry habit, farmers and horticul-
turists will make mistake If they
systematically destroy them.
The Skunk.
The skunk renders important SER
vice by destroying immense numbers
of mice, white grubs, grasshoppers,
crickets, cutworms, hornets, wasps.
and other noxious forms. Although
1t prefers this kind Of food, like opos-
sum, it will eat almost any animal
matter at times. certain wild fruits
and berries. While 1t Is said to be
fond of eggs and young chickens, a
mother skunk has been known to
make her nest and rear her young In
the inner walls OF the chicken yard
and neither eggs nor fowls were mo-
Tested.
The Badger.
Badgers are valuable in destroying
groundsquirrels, prairie dogs gophers
and other burrowing animals, as well
as various kinds Of insects. For their
valuable services, full protection
should be given them. even in irri-
CATION sections. where they some
times dig into dikes in pursuit of the
rodents, which, In the role of dixie
borers, cause so much trouble.
Hawks and Owls.
An important fact farmers should
bear in mind is that all hawks and
owls feed largely on noxious rodents
and the larger insects, such as grass
hoppers, crickets and May beetles.
Yet in the more thickly settled sec
tions of the country, except at rare
intervals, the goshawk. duck and great
horned owl are so frequent that years
will pass without an individual being
seen. There are two kinds Of hawks
that should be kept in check, and they
are the sharp-skinned and Cooper
hawks. These feed almost entirely
on wild birds and poultry.
The Heron.
The heron, fiesh-eating bird, will
consume a number Of gophers daily,
We should not, therefore, begrudge 1t
the fish It eats when we remember
that a gopher, Is capable Of destroying
trees large enough to produce market
able fruit. s
Gulls and Terms.
The gulls and terms that live inland
do effective service In checking the
inroads Of injurious insects and man.
mails. Gulls follow the plough In the
spring and gather from the upturned
soil many an insect that would later
attack the growing crop. During the
summer they feed on grasshoppers
and crickets. Terms feed also on grass
hoppers and other insects. In the
south the black tern has been seen
capturing the moths of the cotton
boil worm in flight over the young
plants. -.
Ravens, Crows and Jays.
Ravens, crows and jays also do eff
fective work in destroying pests, but
in localities where they have increas-
ed out of proportion to the available
food supply, they become trouble
some by killing small chickens and by
destroying eggs and nestlings Of wild
birds.
The Missinu Dime.-Here Is a little