The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-06-28
THE FLUSHING BAR

take this opportunity TO appeal to the
farmers of our State to help con-
serve wildlife, especially ground
nesting birds by using the Flushing
Bar"
Thousands of game birds may be
saved from the mowers blades if the
farmers will use this simple device,
which is very inexpensive. This
flushing device consists of light pole
about 10 to IL feet long, attached at
right angles to the front of the tom
que across the yolk to the right of
the horses, extending to point OPP
posite the end of the cutting blade
and by attaching short lengths of
wires or rope or discarded chains, 10
to IL inches apart to the pole at the
end of which attach old bolts or
short chains so the end of the device
will just about reach within inches
of the ground; or, you may attach
burlap sacks to the pole with some
pebbles or some article in the bottom
of the sack to hold it in position, and
either the ropes as described above.
or the burlap sacks, will flush birds
nesting in the grain before the cut
ting blade arrives to the point of the
nest In this manner, thousands of
saved. This arrangement will sweep
the ground well ahead of the cutting
bar and flush the setting birds from
their nests in advance of the deadly
knives.
If the operator of the moving ma
chine, when flushing birds from
nest, will stop just minute, raise
the mower blade and leave small
piece of uncut grass or grain around
the nest, great benefit will be deriv-
ed as the mother bird will return
and hatch her eggs or protect her
young Hay and grain fields are the
favorite nesting places for ground
nesting birds, especially the bob
white and pheasants and the farmers
can render very valuable service in
the protection of these species of
very beneficial birds by complying
with our request.
moving machine, when cutting
alfalfa, clover, or timothy drawn by
the farmers brawny horses or per-
haps it may be harvesting machine
pulled by tractor, cutting field of
golden grain, the deadly knives NOV
ing forward with a deafening clatter
when cutting over a nest of eggs or
young birds, is very detrimental and
as a rule when the bird hears this
clatter she will crouch closer to her
, nest of eggs or precious fedglings,
which are just peeping from the
shell into world of sunshine and
promise, or, it may be some of the
birds are already out of the shell
and smuggling contentedly among the
downy feathers of the frightened
mothers breast; others are still
= fighting to free themselves from the
anu WHICH, tAO
shadows of the approaching team
loom up maternal love for those
newborn babes, or even the eggs,
chains the bird to her nest with an
, unbreakable bond as the approach
ing deadly blade cuts it's way thru
the standing grass or grain.
The rate of mortality of eggs and
young birds destroyed annually. is
appalling. It is estimated that about
, 500 of eggs laid by ground-nestiug
, birds in hay or grain fields are de-
stroyed before Matching by the now
, ing machine. OF course, many cases
are beyond mans control but by
, using the flushing bar, large per-
{ centage of these eggs, or young
, fedglings can be saved. Wherever.
the flushing bar has been used,
thousands of nests of eggs and young
have been saved and great many
interested farmers in cutting hay or
grain have left a small strip around
the edge of the field and have found
their action has paid big dividends
by having the presence of the valu-
able birds. Strips of corn, wheat or
other grain left uncut along fence
: rows, wood-lots and other nearby
/, patches of cover, will benefit wildlife
during the coming winter months
: and by saving the fence-row cover,
you can in this way assure the pres
ence of beneficial birds, especially
bob-white ON your farm.
Mr.. Farmer, please help to restore
and protect ON your property, the
beneficial birds and by so doing they
will bring you much joy and happi-
ness as the presence of the majority
of birds are beneficial in assisting
you to grow better crops by their