The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-04-18
Table Giving Some High School Information Of a Few Surrounding

Game birds, such as are protected
under the recent migratory bird
law, were classed as the most vain
able birds in eXterminating insect
pests. The speaker told of examin-
ing the crop of n prairie chicken
and finding fifty locusts. He estim-
ated that one prairie chicken in a
years time would destroy 10000 To-
Gusts.
Birds are natural checks to the
spread of insect pests" continued
Inspector Cleasby, ''and instead of
being the enemies of the farmer
they are his friends. There never
was a time when the protection of
bird life has been as imperative as
it is today. With all our knowledge
of insects we have not been able to
successfully combat the gypsy moth.
the brown tail moth or the boil wee
vii. Birds are the only a%ntidotes
known for these great de%stroyers."
Some astounding figures were
quoted to show the rapid increase of
destructive insects such as constitute
the food of the migratory birds.
"Th hop aphis, for instance"
said the speaker, produce thirteen
generations a year. The progeny of
these thirteen generations in a
years time would amount to the
number of ten septillion. Placed in
a line, ten TO the inch, they would
extend from the farthest fixed star
to a point so remote that light trav-
cling at the rate of 1S6, 600 miles a
second from the head of the process
sion would be some $500 years in
reaching the earth. The ordinary
caterpillar consumes twice its
weight in foliage every day. This
would correspond to a horse eating
a ton of hay daily. A certain flesh
eating larvae 200 times
its weight in twenty-four hours, and
this would correspond to the aver
age baby eating 1000 pounds a
day"
The speaker urged all bird lovers
to cooperate in extending the edu-
c%ational aspects of bird life. He al
so advocated the civil service sys-
tenn for game wardens, declaring
that a rigid examination should be
given the applicants. 1t is the in
spector's belief that the wardens
should be lecturers rather than
prosecutors and that their work
should be to instruct the people of
the state regarding the economic val
lie of birds.
Ignorance" he asserted, lis the
greatest enemy to bird life. Many
people regard the law as a cure-all
and they think that all that is nee
essary is to pass a law protecting
the birds. Admitted that the law is
a valuable tool, the most effective
weapon is public sentiment. The
sportsmen of the state can do more
than all of the lawmakers combin-
ed. The support of the law should
be given by every true sportsman.
Tor they are the chief beneiciaries
OF such a measure. There never can
be real bird protection until all true
sportsmen assist, encourage and CO.
operate with the chosen officials"
At the conclusion of the address
by the inspector a set of resolutions
was read and adopted by the club.
in which they declared for a program
OF education on bird life. The
Weeks-McLean law was declared 10
be the most effective measure ever
adopted to save u native wild
birds from determination. The state
institutions were requested to insti-
tute a curse in bird study and an
annual bird day was recommended
to be set apart as a day similar to
ArbOr day. 1t was further agreed
to recommend to the state legisla-
ture that a law be enacted which
would place all game wardens on the
civil service basis.
These same resolutions were
adopted by the Northwestern Iowa
Teachers association which met in
Sioux City last week.