The Penn's Grove record., 1920-07-23
Protecting Birds
Protects The Crops
Pests Are More Destructive
Since Birds Became Less
Numerous

OF wild pigeons use to fly north in the
spring to breed in the northern woods.
The cheerful morning calls of the rob-
bins in the springtime were the alarm
clocks of the farmers. In September
when wild cherries became ripe the
robins returned from the northern
chimes to the southland. They we're
so numerous and so plump by feeding
on wild cherries and berries that
thousands were shot as game birds.
Since they became scarce a law has
been passed to prohibit killing them.
The chirp of the catbird was an
other musical tune of springtime. The
brown thrush and chippy were also at
tractive visitors on summer morns.
In April large focks of black birds
and crows would settle on trees, view
the landscape ove them, settle on a
freshly plowed field, walk over it and
pick up thousands of cut worms, grubs
and larvae of many insects, which
made luscious foods for the birds but
were destructive to plant life.
But few of these birds are seen now.
Cut worms and insects are more des-
tructive to plant life and farm crops
than ever before. Farmers are begin
ming to see the value of these numer-
as birds which gave natures music
in the morning, a protector of their
crops, savers of time, labor and
money. Farmers have come to the
conclusion that the birds protected
more crops by feeding on the larvae of
destructive insects than the crops they
ate. 1t use to be that plants could be
set in the field, the earth around the
plants tickled with a cultivator and
hoe a few times and a big crop was
grown Now the farmer has to fight
the pests with poisons from early
spring until fall.
In May large flocks of black birds
these pests are the plaques of Pha-
roah to a sinful world. However it
may be, man must protect those ami
mails which destroys the others which
are more destructive to food crops.
Therefore protect the birds.
Keep P~heasants on Farms
While in New Jersey, agricultural
authorities are using the wild ring
neck pheasants to fight the Japanese
beetle in Burlington and Camden
counties, simultaneously in North Da-
kota big ranchers are introducing it
to kill off grasshoppers and other
insects that are injurious to the corn
and wheat crops. The experience of
the western farmer has indicated that
the pheasant is one of the most valu-
able insect-eating birds as well as n
of the most priced gamebirds and that
it will survive the figors of the worst
northern winters.
In Burlington county's beetle dis
trict, farmers have discovered that the
pheasant has a appetite for
insects. 1t is one of the few birds that
will eat the hard-shelled japanese
beetle and it appears to be equally
fond of potato bugs, wire worms, cut
worms and cabbage worms. The
pheasants have been protected in the
so-called beetle ZONE of Burlington and
Camden counties for five years by act
of the Legislature and State and Fed
eral agriculture experts are preparing
to study their activities as an import
ant agricultural experiment.
Birds That Protect The Crop
Farmers in New Jersey are finding
a special incentive, this summer for
intensifying the warfare on cats. With
Tile COSG VI DoS ROloOlto AAStL CfRAO
and the orchards and crops almost pro-
hibitive, growers are placing more de-
pendence than during any season in
recent years, upon the aid of insect
eating birds for crop protection. Get
rid of the ~bird-eating cat" has be-
come a farm slogan from end to end
of the Garden State"
Practically every Grange and farm
ers' club in the State is on record
against the cat. The cunning clubs
have found a similar Indictment. III
Audubon society is pointing out the
grave menace to bird life of the feline
stalker. The State Fish and Game
Commission is placing in the hands OF
it's representatives throughout the
State, bulletins urging that all house
cats be placed under restraint, at least
between May Is and August Is, while
birds are rearing their young and that
communities organize campaigns to
see that all homeless and wild hunting
cats are humanely killed.
Save Baby Quail
Game wardens thruout the State are
urging farmers to be on the lookout
for quail nests that may be uncovered
in the fields. Much harvesting work is
done at a time shortly before the quail
eggs hatch and as the parent birds
rarely will return to a disturbed nest,
MANY eggs, in this manner, are des-
troyed. With a little cooperation
from farmers game officials believe
that this yearly loss can be eliminated.
Where nests are cut over in moving
to such an extent that the parent birds
will not return, farmers are beng ask
ed to provide bantam foster mothers
to continue the Matching. The nearest
warden should be notified so that
proper care can be suggested for the
Young quail when Matched. When
near enough to the State Game Farm
at Forked River or the branch game
farm at Mount Holly, eggs can be
taken by wardens to those auoh
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