The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-10-31
BIRDS As AIDS TO PLANTERS.
EXHIBIT AT FAIR SHOWS THEIR
ECONOMIC VALUE.
Federation of WOmcn's Clubs and
Association OF Audubon Societies
Show Display.

Columbia, Oct. 2S.--The exhibits of
the bird committee of State Feder-
alton Of Women's clubs attracted a
great deal Of attention at the State
lair yesterday and impressed many
visitors. This is one Of the most inter-
esting features Of the whole fair, judg-
ing by the number Of persons register
cd at the booth, which occupies near
ly one whole end of fhe State building
In which is the exhibit Of the State de-
partment Of agriculture, commerce
and industries.
Save te Birds" Zone Hundred
Millions Of Dollars Lost Annually to
the Farmers Of the United States Be-
cause Of the Insects" Birds Eat In
sects." Such are the legends which
first attract the attention Of the vis-
itor to the booth. From then on
through the booth the attention is
riveted by the number Of emphatic
statements, each making quite a reve-
lation. On prominent projections are
placed charming little bird houses,
obtained from tine National Associa-
ton Of Audubon Societies especially
for this exposition. These show the
manner in which birds can be attract
ed and it Is a well known fact that
when birds once become attached to
a place they never leave-eXcept for
unusual causes. One Of these causes
Is the cat which is said to destroy
as many as so birds in a year, where
given the opportunity. One of the
objects Of this exhibit is to teach the
usefulness Of birds and the uselessness
and the menace Of the animals that
prey upon them.
The National Association of Audu-
bon Societies and others have loaned
interesting exhibits for this occasion
and others have been made by the pa
tient, painstaking and patriotic ef-
forts Of Miss Belle Williams and her
associates in this splendid work.
One Of the interesting features is
the sparrow trap, built Of steel wire,
on the principle Of the old
bird net. In this trap thousands OF
the pesky English sparrows may be
caught in the course Of a year, and
these are the birds that the Audubon
society asks no mercy for. They are
the birds that destroy the nests of
the other birds and drive them away
In addition to a fine collection OF
stuffed birds, loaned for this occasion
by the society in Charleston, there ar.
numerous charts, made with a grea
deal Of care, showing the general ap-
pearance Of the birds of this State
pointing out the kinds that are harm
full, and the kinds that are harmless
and also useful. The harmful bird-
are those that prey upon other birds.
There are no birds that seem to be
harmful SO far as their relations to
mankind are concerned. For while
few may destroy some crops, they
destroy to an infinitely larger extent
the things that destroy the crops and
the vegetable life on the farms. The
woodpecker is pointed out as the tree
protector because he kills the para
sites that kill the trees. There are 3S
varieties Of birds that kill the boil
weevil. and numerous birds kill the
mosquito. which causes so much ILL
ness and suffering in this State. Some
species of these useful birds are ac-
tually threatened with extinction in
South Carolina.
The prince Of the birds seems to
be the little brown partridge, for one
eminent student of creature life says
that the Bob White is the most mar
velous little engine in the world for
the destruction Of the insects on the
farm that are destructive of vege-
tation.
The exhibit. in addition to the at
tractive posters telling Of the value of
the birds to the growing crops, con-
tains large supply of interesting
reading matter discussing the value of
the birds to the farm. Some of the
statements are indeed revelations, and
tho whtful persons will find this uuiot
corner of the State fair one of the
most impressive and most valuable
In the lessons that it teaches.