The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-13
THE VALUE OF BIRD LIFE


Anyone who has studied deeply,
realizes that Nature Is run on a sys
tenn Of balance and proportion. In
a perfectly wild state, Nature is able
TO a X care Of her own by a deliber-
ate. almost mechanical adjusting of
things. Thus we may find that there
never enters a disaster but that she
is able to overcome it, in some way or
another. She allows always recuper
alton for her wild forces. Thus, to
prevent an excessive increase of in
scots, certain birds are put forward
to Kill these insects, and so hold
down the numbers of them. DelvinG
deeply into the science of it, one will
soon come to the realization that diff
ferent birds destroy different in
sects; thus: n bird will not kill q
certain tribe of insects, that yet
another bird seems meted out to des
troy. So we'll adjusted is this system
that under perfect conditions, Nature
is able to hold her own; no overflow
of n one detrimental particular
occurs. To the average man it may
seem l~auEhahle to conceive of the
idea that birds are so useful, and
yet among men who have studied
and observed it is an accepted fact.
Value of Birds To The Farmer
Insectivorous birds are of i'm
mense value to the agriculturist.
Hundred Of thousands of tons of
weed seeds are yearly consumed by
seed eating birds, and the insect
consuming birds, keeping to Ma
ton, accomplish things that man
holds as, more or less inferior. And
yet, were q deriding individual to
know the breakfast, dinner and sup
per meals, Of some of these birds, he
would be amazed beyond word. Hour
in and hour out, they arc at it. Watch
la rose-breasted grosbeak in the po-
tato patch, stuffing himself like a
limitless gormand, with maturing
bursting. and you will understand
something of the usefulness Of the
birds. Every day he will be there. |
know of a patch Of potatoes watched
over by two grosbeaks, which was
kept perfectly clean under their in
sistent feeding. 1t is the duty Of
each mother and father that they in
still in the minds OF their boys. the
economic value Of our fcathered
guns to use in wholesale M needless
slaughter, and give them more
knowledge Of the value of birds.
Boys Naturally Destructive.
There exists no more ruthless Great
ure than a boy. This is not said to
lower boyhood, at all. but to point
out a simple fac-and / take my w
case as an example. In my youth,
hundreds upon hundreds, of birds.
fell before my sling-shot, then the
air-gun and then the murderous
twenty-five. What spark Of cruelty
abides in the growing spirit Of youth,
it is hard to say. And yet it is there.
Perhaps a stran coming from the
ancestral young remains; none can
tell. Destruction is a thing common
with our youth. The robbery of birds
nests for their eggs, in the inevitable
collection. is another failing that is
identified with boys and their habits.
Such things as these may. as a rule
be laid to one thing, a fault of the
child's superiors to prevent it, by
giving him the proper education, to
protection. We nave seen, how, in
adopting the Boy Scout system,
much good has been attained. by
raising in our youth a nobler attiaude
toward the wild life. While the
present writer laments the inclusion
of the military idea, with the Boy
Scout system, still he is heart and
soul with progress Of this work,
along the lines first laid down by
Beard. In the preservation of our
birds, in Minnesota. or in any other
state, we must make for ourselves
a firm and thoughtful foundation. Let
us begin educating our youth. Let
us show ourselves as being hunani-
tarians, not as adhering to one prin-
ciple, alone, but to all things. ma
tural resources, and the protection Of
human life, as we'll. 1t is with much
bitterness that I have noted the num-
bers Of boys coming out from the
cities, with their guns, and killing so
freely, without any consideration or
thought.
A long time ago it was the question
OF: can we a v u game birds.
Now with our game birds vanishing
off of the map, so fast that it is
alarming. we have been forced to
swing our attention, let us hope, in
birds also to be destroyed at the
hands Of wanton, INSCRIPTIONS man?
Encourage the Birds.
The greatest encouragement should
be given the birds to nest, and breed.
in this state. After a long winter how
pleasing 1t is to again hear the notes
of the early b%luebird, the robin, and
the lark. There 10 a notable express
sion, in this state, of welcome, at all
times, to the robin. In the south this
bird has been slaughtered indiscrim-
inately, yeaT in and year out. in the
interest Of the market. Undoubtedly,
it has bee a profitable business, in It's
day, but the new migratory. law pro-
tecting the birds in their fight has
proven unreasonable. in. its helpful
ness.
How insects Became a Menace.
Let me point out just how valuable
birds are. We will take southern
Here birds were killed by the people
at all times, in unlimited numbers, for
eating, and. the day finally arrived
When there was an alarming scarcity
in birds; this natural was
nearly exhausted. Natures law
Of balance and proportion had been
imposed upon, and the insects began
to Increase, making and overflow that
nature could not prevent. The vine
yards were ravaged; trees were COW
cred with various winged pests; and
less, at the mercy of these destroyers.
Artificial means were used to meet
this ravage, and so it was partly cir
c~umVented, but they learned. a lesson,
most revealing in its truth: the bird
life could nor be done without. There
fore 1t is that in such countries, today,
they have established stations where
songbirds are bred and turned loose.
Appreciation Sometimes Too Late.
1t is a rather uncomfortable fact
only When those things we have