Western United States, 1918 : correspondence, field reports, and reference materials (2 of 2)
date: label: Date Range
content: 1918-1919
label: Start Date
content: 1918
label: End Date
content: 19181130
name: label: Alternate Title
content: Western United States, 1918 : Correspondence, field reports, and reference materials
notes: label: Abstract
content: This is the second of two folders that document Alexander Wetmore's work in the western United States investigating crop damage from ducks and blackbirds in 1918 - 1919, while working for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bureau of Biological Survey. Investigations took place in Arkansas, Washington, California, and Kansas. Materials discuss issues surrounding the options for preventing further crop damage. Allowing duck shooting by farmers and duck bombs the most commonly mentioned solutions. Wetmore visits effected sites, reports to conditions and possible solutions to USDA, and works with California Fish and Gaming Department on implementing decisions. |Letters discuss concerns about indescriminate issuance of duck hunting permits; possible solutions offered by concerned citizens (coal oil and tar on a rice field); some concern among the public about treatment of ducks. Articles discuss the situation in general, official order from the Secretary of Agriculture giving farmers permission to shoot ducks on their farms (copy of order for California is in the folder); appeals to the Federal Food Administration to allow shot ducks to be used as food (according to the article this would be a violation of the Federal game agreement with Canada at the time); and expense and use of duck bombs. Materials include correspondence, field reports, reference materials, articles, telegrams, business cards, news clippings, permits|Reports include Wild Ducks and other Birds in Relation to the Rice Crop in Arkansas in 1918 and Wild Ducks in Relation to Rice Culture in California (includes itinerary).
place: label: Place
content: Arkansas
label: Place
content: California
label: Place
content: Washington
label: Place
content: De Witt
label: Place
content: Kansas
label: Place
content: United States
topic: label: Topic
content: Ornithology
label: Topic
content: Ducks
label: Topic
content: Rice
label: Topic
content: Blackbirds
label: Topic
content: Crop losses
setName: label: See more records from this collection
content: Alexander Wetmore Papers, circa 1848-1979 and undated
label: See more records associated with this person
content: Wetmore, Alexander, 1886-1978
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Smithsonian Field Book Project
identifier: label: Accession #
content: SIA RU007006
objectType: label: Record type
content: Fieldbook record
label: Object Type
content: Field notes
label: Object Type
content: Correspondence
label: Object Type
content: Reports
label: Object Type
content: clippings (information artifacts)
objectRights: label: Access Information
content: Many of SIA's holdings are located off-site, and advance notice is recommended to consult a collection. Please email the SIA Reference Team at osiaref@si.edu.
physicalDescription: label: Collection name
content: Alexander Wetmore Papers, circa 1848-1979 and undated
label: Physical Description
content: 1 folder
label: Physical Location
content: Smithsonian Institution Archives
label: Sublocation
content: Box 139 Folder 3