Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-22
THEDEPARTMENTO FAGRICUIT tJRF,-
4

7" aSHlNGTON. April 21.-Few peo-
pie would regard the alligator AZ a
trieho OF man after casual glance ne
nm. but there is Il law I'm Louisiana
which authorizes tho .differcht pa rishes
o' the Sthts to enact such measures
"S 'hey uccm best to protect tho alli-
gator. The reason for this law is the
'"ct that tho alligator is regarded as
"h enemy OF the muskrat. and the
muskrat Is an enemy or tho rice plant
ef. because OF his hubit OF burrowInE
w the banks and bikes Of the rice
neid and iiooding the crop at the wrong
time. Thus man and tho alligator, who
,'t4 De regarded as natural enemies
.e."cen whom there exists little spon-
'ahcous cordlniity. ally themselves
against the muskrat
I'M" alligator protection is an in
stance Of ono angle of a great national
'Erlcuitural problem--thc wild animal
iiooicNi' by taking possession Of tho
continent. man has disturbed and de-
S'oEed the delicate balance of nature.
an" IL " now his task to work out and
set up a new balance that shall he IN :
NorhDie 10 the greatest possiblc food
production. Many animals that seem
~ Urst 10 be tho enemies of man arc
'e"i'S MS pest friends. and when they
arc trapped out and killed as "A result
ol nasty and short-siehtcd policy. .,
new and far more destrlctive .nccic.
INC hrst species. its natural enemies
nave been destroyed.
1t is necessary that every bird and
animal species In the United States
should be carefully investigators tried
IN court OF equity as II were. Ia de-
ternilhe whether IL IL on tho whole in
furious or beneficial to aKricuI,urc no
fore the human inhabitants OF the conn
try decide how that species shall a..
treated This trial Is technically called
determining It's economic status and
the court which tries each species 10
decide whether 1t shall live or die Is tho
biological Survey OF the Department OF
Agriculture
In tho natural balance OF animal l,fc
each species OF bird and insect and
mammal has it's natural enemies not
HuhiclchtiS numcro TO Mil IL out COM
pictclE. hut strong enough to keen It
I" pouaus. when man steps in and
cNtefminateS Il species. he often let's
loose upon himself and his crops the
unchecked multitudcs of another ono
that works ten times as much harm
lh"re is certain Southern State where
Il hounty has been placed upou hawks
ana Owls. because OF the damage thew
were supposed To do to poultry. In
consequence Of the bounty the hawk.
ana owls have been killed out. and az
!, result OF the killing. tho orchard in
dnStry OF the State. which might be
worth millions of dollars. has been
practically ruined. The orchards are
ruined by the field mice that EirtIle the
trees and field mice have Increased
enormously because the hawks and
owls. their natural enemies. have been
killed by man
All Nature I. Enhanced
This sort of delicate balance runs all
through nature. and IL Is part OF the
work OF the biological Survey to study
each bird aud animal cxhausttveIy.
weigh the harm II docs against tie
good. and pronounce Il verdict for or
against. which shall bc reflected in local
or national protective legislation. This
sort or work las already been carried
out very extensively. Ever such ru:a-
lively untmDortant creatures AS tho
hummingbirds have had TO stand an in
restiGatton. and scores of their tiny
stomachs were examined to determine
what they fed on. In this case IL is
welcome to learn, the verde, was Not
guilty"
When species of animal is plainly
destructive and injurious TO man the
survey takes up the WORK OF cNtcrm!-
mating IL, at least of bringing II
within limits. The biggest job of this
kind on hand Is the campaign OH pre-
datory wild animals that Is being warcd
In twelve of the big Western stock
raising States. These animals include
Such species as the gray wolves. the
coyotes. the mountain lions. the bob
cats and the bears; the annual damage
they do to stock is estimated AT Slo.-
ooo.oo0. Even here. the question OF tho
ba lance of nature enters TO some cx-
tent. and the interests OF farmers and
cattlcmen are not identical. The coy
otes are the natural enemies OF the
Jack rabbit. for instance, and where the
survey has carried out an intensive
campaign Of coyote determination TO