The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-12-12
BOY
SCOUTS
%
III -
Conducted by National Council of the Boy
Scouts OF Ar-erica-l
BOY SCOUTS AND BIRDS

The same energy which used to go
into rObbing birds nests and bringing
Cock Robin down with a sling shot is
still inherent in the small boy, but in
scouting it is put to other uses which
are constructive instead of destruc-
tive. Every winter scouts maintain
hundreds of feeding stations for their
feathered friends and every spring
thousands of bird houses are built and
set up by boy scouts all over the cOun-
try, so that when the birds come north
no renting problems await them. Near
" every local council and many indi-
Vidual troops conduct a bird house
building contest which rouseS great in
tereSt among scouts and fuihIIs more
than one purpose in that not only are
the birds well served, but the boys get
practical carpentry training. In plan
ming the houses they observe and dis
cover bird habits, in the endeavOr
to build houses which will suit the
prospective tenant. To most people
bird house is a bird house, but a scout
knows that what will be just the thing
for a wren may not please a bluebird
at all.
Taking bird censuses and cO-operat-
ing with Audubon societies in protect
ing bird life are also fairly frequent
In scout activities. A certain troop in
San Francisco which has made Spe-
ciaIty of bird study and conservation
has been made official guardians of
the birds Of Golden City Park.
Another feature of bird conservation
work which received much attention
at the twelfth annual meeting of the
national council in March at the sug-
gestion of John NJ. Phillips Of Pitts
burgh is the project of planting large
numbers of mulberry trees for the ben
eft of the robins and other fruit-eating
birds which are in danger of extinction
at the hands of farmers who realize
only that the birds eat their own fruit
crops without also realizing that they
| do an incalculable service in the de-
structiOn Of insects. From March
until June" says John NJ. Phillips, who
was instrumental in getting the Boy
Scouts of America TO take action In
this matter, "the robins and other
birds scour the gardens, fields and
! forests clean Of destructive insect life.
and make possible our small fruit
/ crops. Yet in June, when the parent
| birds attempt to collect for their
! hungry babies their 1.-THE of cherries
/ and berries which they has an indis-
/ pensable share in raising, they meet
with very different reception from
| that to which they are entitled, espe-
! cially since the federal government is
| now issuing permits to kill robins
! when they are committing or are about
! to commit serious injury to cherries
! and other small fruit trees. Such &C
| ton, according to Mr.. Phillips, is not
! only a serious blunder, but real
breach of honor to our feathered ben
efactors. His solution is, supply more
fruit and berries of an unmarketable
variety. The sweet cherry and the null
berry, both cheap and quick TO grow,
are prime favOrites with the birds, and
consequently planting these species
means saving more valuable crops,
especially as they bear continuously
all summer, and one tree will feed hun
dreds of birds. Scouts are not only to
| plant these trees themselves, but they
are to help to. educate the public, es-
pecially the farmer public, as to the
! practical as we'll as humane aspect
of such a procedure.