Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-01-27
FARMERS SHOULD
PROTECT BIRDS
DR.. Kalbfus Gives Some Earn
est Talks to the State
Board

DR.. Joseph Kalbfus, secretary of the
State Game Commission and ornitholo-
gist of the State Board of Agriculture,
opened the second day of the annual
meeting of the board to-day with a
report in which he called on farmers
to realize the true relation of the birds
to the farm and to take steps to pro-
tect and conserve the wild birds for
their own benefit.
The farmer is not neighbor to the
birds. l know of but few farmers,
unless they are also sportsmen,
who have ever done one thing to at
tract the birds. On the other hand,
they have done much to injure or drive
them away" said the States game Off
cial. DR.. Kalbfus urged that bird
houses be built on farms to take the
places of old trees which had to be cut
down or to be cemented in modern
tree surgery and that farmers feed
the wild birds, especially quail. in win
ter. The speaker said that the farm
er's cat, it is estimated. kills at least
sixty songbirds every season" and that
crows are permitted to hatch and
increase everywhere, for the farmer
never thinks of the crow except when
he is pulling corn, and for destroying
birds the crow beats the cat out of
sight"
The speaker also gave his opinion
of some two-legged birds, which, he
said, were causing the farmer more
loss than anything else, instancing the
middleman who gets the real profit on
the milk and cream and on many
things which the farmers raise.
A call was issued to the next Legis-
lature to enact legislation which
would define the status of the State
Board of Agriculture and a committee
of five named to draft q bill with that
object. This action was taken at the
instance of ]. Aldus Herr, of Lancas-
ter, and Mr.. Herr, p. S. Fenster-
holme and r. ]. Weld were named as
the committee.
The morning was devoted to hear
ing reports and discussion of the
propositions for establishing rural
credits so ably brought out last night
by Congressman Ralph w. Moss, of
Indiana, and the development of ag-
ricultural education, which was the
theme of Prof. l.. ii. Dennis, agricul-
tural expert, in his splendid lecture on
the subject in the hall of the House
last night. Both men were highly
complimented by members for their
talks.
The resolution from Mr.. Herr
created somewhat of breeze. 1t was
as follows: 1T is a matter of COM
mon knowledge that the existence of
the State Board of Agriculture on sew
eral occasions has been threatened
and even its abolition determined
upon therefore in view of the fact
that during the trying periods of the
Pennsylvania State Agricultural Col
| lege and in the early days of the De-
partment of Agriculture, when both
of these institutions needed defenders.
boosters and assistance, this Board.
because of the character, stability and
reputation of its members for honor
wit I, 4.
the State was able to obtain appro-
priations for the maintenance of both
OF these institutions which to-day
stand as monuments to its wisdom
therefore, with so splendid a record
of achievement and that these bene-
lts may be continued and even en-.
hanced, L move that a committee of
five members of this board be ap-
pointed by the chairman to draft a
Dill Tor presentation at the LEGISLATURE
or 1917, defining the duties and au-
thorities of the members of the Board
in the counties they represent and es-
tabliSh a direct relation between the
State Board and the Department of
Agriculture and defining the author
lty to be exercised by the members
OF the Board with the Department and
that this committee shall report to
this board at the next actual meeting"
b. Frank Wambold, of Sellersville.
Nhiiio Oil POullIS, Sdlu InG average
pennsylvania farmer is now giving
much attention to poultry raising, but
he Is not nearly so much interested in
the production of fancy stock as he
once was. The farmer is now devot-
ing himself to poultry for egg and
food production and breeding is CON
sidered mostly from these stand
points. Mr.. Wambold said that the
new cold storage law limiting the
period in which eggs may be kept in
storage has increased the fresh egg
supply and kept down prices by caus-
ing storage eggs to be marketed at
periods when fresh eggs are scarcest.
The State Board of Agriculture This
afternoon passed resolutions endors-
ing the State Constabulary and rec
ommending an increase in the force.
asking for larger appropriations for.
the Department of Agriculture and
State College, calling for the exten-
sion OF farmers Institutes and similar
work, for the amendment of the State
game laws to provide for a closed sea
son for quail and fixing the deer
shooting season for the period be-
tween November l to November Is.