Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-03-24
-; 3iii Almost TAv 6.iiiO,us

According 10 careiui survey oy u'
y, Entomology of the Unitec
r pu. Department of Agriculture, th'
,4,,Tons of injurious insects cause
.,,raI monetary loss to American
81 .....,.,,re Of the appalling sum Of
go sos. 800. The ipss has grown
-. -. ,5e foregoing estimate and is
81, -..koned at nearly two billion dol
lars. .5 .,. a.
.,r-,.on by the birds of the United
60. the damage TO farm and gar
-~-5uc.s would. undoubtedly, ee
much greater
The beneficial activities of birds Is
.r....-,,ss nv the fact that in some
- where especial attention has
-. raid to attracting and protect
80 ..-5s the damage by insects has
.s,r~-s practically unnotceable. A
.,..rr estimate shows that the grass
tocos-s destroyed monthly by single
-,.,4oo. lark would consume forage at
.,s lowest valuation so cents. In the
s;y months that may properly be in
,,ris5 in the grasshopper season,
.bsrsfa-e each meadow lark prevents
the loss of 50 from devastation by
prasshoppers. The amount saved by
the obstruction of other injurious in
scots must be fully as great, so that a
meadow lark may be fairly estimated
70 DESTROY insects capable of causing
damage of at least So year.
On account of its larger size, the
meadow lark is considerably above
the average of our insectivorous birds
in lis capacity for destroying insects.
The value of many birds in prevent
ine increases in losses from farm pests
certainly can be estimated conserva-
tiyely at 81 a year. But to give some
idea of the way in which the benefits
from the useful services of birds mount
into large sums when estimated in
monetary terms, and at the same time
10 be entirely on the safe side, we
NAV set the average cash value of the
destruction of pests Of agriculture by
birds at the ridiculously low figure of
ten cents a bird each year. Numer-
Gus bird censuSes have agreed in ar
irving at the figure of two birds an acre
as the normal bird population of the
country On this basis there are each
summer at least $500, 100000 breed
Ing birds in the United States. This
takes no account of young birds. At
the rate of ten cents each, the value of
these birds in preventing insect dam
age is 1888 650OO0 annually. The mi
grants that pass through the United
States equal in number, if they do not
surpasS, the population of feeding birds
They spend on the average a month
apiece in their passage, during which
time they feed upon our injurious in
SectS. Estimating the value of each
of these birds in proportion to the time
they are with us at one-Sixth that of
the native species, we arrive at an
added saving of insect damage of $685.
AL -bO6, which brings the total to more
than S444,0O0,0OO. This is a mini
mum estimate of the additional insect
damage the people of the United States
would have to endure were it not for
the beneficial services of birds.
Yet, despite the valuable economic
services performed by our feathered
friends, they are slaughtered in vast
numbers, either to provide a tasty
meal, or Just for the sake of wantonly
killing something
1t the present small number of birds
III ms country is capable of destroying
so many insects, thus preventing enor-
NOUS losses TO growing food crops, it
can easily be surmised how great
would be the value of birds if their
numbers were largely increased
u'ough common-sense protection.
Dr. Albert X. Fisher, in charge of
economic Investigations of the Bureau
OF Biological Survey of the United
S'"'eS Department of Agriculture, in
'eStgated pellets found at the roost
u iong-eared owl, and found re-
mans w of IS meadow mice, 10 pine mice.
l. mouse mice, five white-footed mice.
si Cooper's mice, &c shews, and 10
O"1s' OF which l1were sparrows, one
o'Ne0ird, and the other warbler.
Eig5ty-SiX out of % stomachs exam
'nsa by DR.. Fisher also contained
mice. The little screech owl, accord
ing 10 DIR. Fisher, is a dilgent mouser,
n also consuming cutworms, grasshop-
Et;S -, crickets, beetles, toads, scorpions.
''S''1N' crawfish, frogs and fish. AS
many as so grasshoppers have been
'"uhi IN one stomach. 10 beetles in an