Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-03-06
THE CONSERVATION
OF THE BIRDS
Annual Loss to Farmers and Fruit
Growers Because of Insects
is Enormous.

there would be an investigation very
soon, or the firm would go out of bus
mess. Yet the farmers, truck and
fruit growers of the United States
lose that amount every year from in
sects. The wheat growers alone lose
100000, 900 yearly by the chinch
bug. The farmers of the eastern
states spend $16,00O,00O annually
for material to kill the potato bug.
The apple producing states spend
from $1,000,OOO to $4,000, 900 yearly
for spraying trees to keep down the
codling moth. Truck growers lose
annually $53,000,00O by the ravages
of insects. Shade trees and forests
are being rapidly destroyed by in
sects and no check has been made
yet. Why is this becoming such a
vast national problem? Simply be-
cause ninety per cent of the bird life
of the country has been destroyed.
Birds and birds alone will be the only
thing that will ever check the ray
ages of insects. The spraying and
powders and dips have failed to com
bat them. Why not try natures
remedy, and bring back the birds?
In the early days our prairies and
woods We're flied with thousands Of
meadowlarks, robins, phoebes, crows,
nighthawks, orioles, grackles, wrens,
thrashers and other birds. But the
merciless gun of the hunter, the
sportsman, and the adventurer has
decreased the numbers rapidly. In
| fact, some species once often seen
are now eXterminated. among which
are the passenger pigeon and the
snowy heron. The latter was former
ly slain by the thousands for their
plumage. Another element which has
aided in decreasing the number Of
birds has been the cutting out of the
woodlands and the breaking up OF
prairies, thus causing them to seek
new grounds for their homes. Many
of the trees have been cut off and no
attempt has been made to replace
them.
So far had the destruction of bird
life gone that a few farsighted citi-
zens saw the fate of the country if
this kept up and began to arouse pub
|lic sentiment in turning the tide. A
number of conservation societies and
associations were organized to carry
on the conservation work. Among
them the Audubon society, the Iowa
Forestry Conservation association,
and the Liberty Bell Bird club. They
have done great work but much re-
mains to be done yet.
The federal government through
the Biological Survey conducted 4
long experiment throughout the
United States--whether certain birds
considered as pests-were really
pests or not. The examination of
S55 stomachs of bluebirds showed
that 6S per cent of the food consisted
of insects. The stomachs of many
other varieties of birds were examin-
cd and the per cent of insects varied,
but nearly all are great consumers
OF insects, while many consume the
seeds of weeds. The sparrow has
been condemned by many but it. is
not considered harmful, that is, the
right specie. there being over forty
species of sparrow in North America.
The tree bird and snow bird are per-
haps the most numerous of all the
sparrows. These feed entirely upon
weed seeds. The food from the stoln-
achs of 1883 red-winged black birds
showed that scven-eighths of it was
weed seed or insects injurious to ag-
riculture, which would seem to in
iicate that this bird should be pro-
,ected. Perhaps in a few places the
number should be restricted. Posi-
ply one of the most abused birds IS
lie GLOW, yet all examination OF It's
shows that so per cent Of
is feed is insects.
The various bird protection asso- II
,iations have worked out many plans 9
md methods of bird conservation
md how to bring the birds back to !
heir former places. number of "
have also done much q
long this line of work. The Ford
Bird sanctuary, which was establish
d by Henry Fcrd,at Dearborn, Michi- ,
AN. has become widely known. The
ate Major Lacey was great bird
over and in spite of his busy life he V
lways found time to study the birds. p
DOWN in Warren county few years b
go n farmer was having trouble b
'ith insects injuring his crops. He G
ecided on certain scheme which
l.,