Arizona republican., 1916-09-22
A Plea For the Birds

This valley is a birds paradise and not only forms a welcome way-staton for countless thousands of migratory birds in the of their long flights but fortunately is the permanent home of many of ovelies songsters and most active insect-catch- CTS of the feathered kingdom Scientists tell us that were it not for the birds that human life, as it now exists would be made nolerable by the insect pests, many of which are practically unnotced, due to the work of the birds The successful cultivation of many of our grain and fruit crops, well as our flowers is made possible by the birds and in recent bulletin the department of agriculture read that it has been learned that the poorest use to which quail can be put well the most expensive, is to eat it.
 The time will come, unless our game laws are better planned and more strictly enforced when the intelligent farmer will if necessary, himself against the quail hunter rather than against the quail The crops of hundreds of these birds have been carefully examined and the government states that without exaggeration, each quail is worth more than his weight in pure gold because of the great numbers of harmful insects which he destroys The biological survey of the United States government has tabulated list the foods by each of our better-known bird families the amount and value of this food and the character and numbers of the in secs destroyed by them It should be generally known that if it not for the common d-tail swallow could raise cotton crop in the United States simply because the food of the swa- in it's migrations the cottonbelt is the cot ton boil weevil and the bird the insect in the moth egg laying stage. so he strikes the weevil curse at it's weakest spot
 Those who have made a careful study of rural problems looking particularly at agricul tural nefficiency for it a -known fact that the average American farmer produces the smallest yields known in any civilized country. and that national superiority in the total crop yields is due entirely size, say that not the least of is in the general mstreament of birds Where ths German orchardist and the French grapegrower build bird homes and feed the bids in order make of their presence the average American farmer goes forth with shot gun to drive away the o-caled pests" Some years ago the ticulturiss of Hungary moved the insane step by ignorance and prejudice" told by writer in Dumb Animals succeeded in getting certain spar row, (passer domesticus) doomed to destruction. Within five years the country with in sects and these same men were crying the bird to be given back to them lest they should perish. The sparrow brought back and, driving out the hordes of devastating insects proved the salvation of the country"
 Colonel G. O. Shields expert this subject, says that the United States loses crops valued at $0OO
 
 less destruction of the birds the past thirty years The chinch bug costs grain growers $100,000,000 year. the Hessan fly twice that amount while the ravages of the boil weevil beyond estimate. It takes 24,000 chnch bugs to weigh an ounce, and the Hessian fly is still lighter, so, a good bird lover has said, Don't be out of patience with the bird who may eat grain two of wheat take peck out of a peach a grape. for possibly he has just finished up small matter of a few thous- and insects, which you should be willing to pay well be rid of has than earned change O diet"
 This country needs laws for the protection of its birds not fewer, and these laws. integently prepared should be generally understood the cooperation of all thinking people their enforcement Life without the song of birds with out their joyous flight, would be changed indeed, but those who love them for their beauty and music should remember in seeking protection for the birds that there many and sufficient which ap- peal to those who regard the question from strictly commercial material standpoint The facts are in- dsputabe and if you state well the case the birds go free More power the game warden.
 Ottr Droe