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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA. il est filmi i partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche k droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 1.0 Hi I.I 2.8 3.2 3.6 2.5 [2:2. 2.0 1.8 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL 1010a (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ph^^^^ MINISTERS OF AGRICULTURE GIVE VIEWS ON BIRD PROTECTION WHY SASKATCHEWAN BELIEV1.0 11^ BIRD PROTECTION BY HON. C. M. HAl»«JLTON Minister of Agriculture. Saskatchewan OUR OBLIGATION TO THE BIRDS BECAUSE OF THEIR USEFULNESS TO AGRICULTURE BY HON. JOS. ED. CARON Minister of Agriculture, Quebec A TRIBUTE TO THE VALUE OF BIRDS BY HON. MANNING W. DOHERTY I.Iinister of Agriculture, Ontario THE VALUE OF BIRDS TO AGRICULTURE Prepared by V. W. Jackson HON. VALENTINE WINKLER Minister of Agriculture, Manitoba 4896—1 / f^5^^^^o The Dominion Parks Branch, of the Department of the In- terior, asked Provincial Ministers of AKricultnre to give their views on the value of Birds. Their answers are given in this paper. If you think hird protection is unnecessary, read what th«v *av. WHY SASKATCHEWAN BELIEVES IN BIRD PROTECTION. By Hon. C. M. Hamilton-, Minister of Agricuiture, Province of Saskatchewan. ,^lHE askatchewan Department of Agriculture is pleased to have 1 this opportunity of reassuring- the people oif Oaniada of its deep interest in all matters pertaining to the conservation of bird life, more especially as they relate to the promotion of Canada's first industry. All too often when referring to our natural resources, we ignore our wild life heritage, and yet, in the final analysis, it is doubtful whether any other natural resource, at this stage of Sas- katchewan's history, has > 'elded so niu<.-h in av^tua.1 cash value as the birds and animals cf our province. Were it not for the activities of our bird friends, which invade our province during the season when insect pests are found in great- est numbers, our farm crops would be seriously damaged, and in many cases entirely destroyed, as actually happened in many parts of southern Saskatchewan during the grasshopper outbreak last summer. More than one intimation has been received of the value of the birds during this plague. For example, a farmer, near Rou- leau, reported that his cr.tp was badly infesited'. An official of the department was instructed to make an inve=Mgation (.f the com- plaint, but upon arrival at the farm be was informed that bis ser- vices were not requireetter protection of our feathered friends and we believe that the best place to develop such a sentiment is among the boys and girls of school age, and it is now provided in this year's course of study that the pupils of grad'O four, five and .-ix know something about the laws that give protection to wild birds and animals. With the ratification of the treaty between Great Britain and the United States for the protection of migratory birds that pass between Canada and the United States twice each year, there was consummated the most advanced legal protection ever accorded to migratory birds. Compliance with the terms of this solemn agree- ment will undoubtedly bring about results that no other singl" effort could hope to accomplish. T am pleased to state that th? Saskatchewan Game Laws were so nearly in accord with the terms of the treaty that it was only necessary to make one or two minor changes to our Game Act in order to have it conform with the terms of this international d ovement. , the owl with his mourn- ful hooting are all kept busy destroying harmful rodents. Con- siderable' damage, often irreparable, is dmie by the field-mice in our orchards. Let us U-ave the owls and beneficial hawks to increase their number in full liberty and carry on their excellent work of de«»troying these enemies of our fruit trees. • , i • /• All children know of the active woodpe- short time can devour over three thousand moths and caterpillars. Just imagine 7 the enormous quantity of insects that one thousand of the birds can destroy. The bla kbirds, the Bobolink, the Tree Sparrow, all have beneficial habits and should be considered among the most useful birds to agriculture. But in the first place among our feathered friends belong with- out doubt to the graceful swallows. They are general favourites. While flying gracefully they catch flies, beetles and other harmtul insects. The warblers, thrushes and robins, take the place of the air-hunting swallows in the trees and hedges and with great efficiency destroy there numerous harmful insects. Even the Crow, although so contemptible in many ways, is a pro- tective element to agriculture. It is true that during the sowing season this bird sometimes has the bad habit of unearthing oats, corn, and other seeds, but this does not last long. As soon as the young plants make their appearance, the Crow looks for its food among the beetles, cut-worms, grasshoppers, moths and field mice. It is even believed by some that the Crow fully repays for the damage done by it. From the above statements we must draw the logical conclusion that the usefulness of birds is unquestionable. We already love them for their cheerful warbling around our homes and in our forests as well as for their gracefulness and constant activity. Their charm is such that the country without birds would be a desolate place and we would refuse to live in it. Many of the most beautiful species of birds prefer living close to habitation, where they build their nests and favour us with their charming songs during the bright early summer mornings. Lo't us have some gratitude towards the birds who render so many good turns in spite of our cruelty to them. By all means we must give protection to these friends sent by Providence to the ajjriculturist, by giving them shelter, respecting their nests and facilitating their increase. Any intelligent child with good natural disposition will protect the birds, but this is not sufiicient; let us teach the children how to love them. Let us put aside these cruel customs which favour the extermination of the birds. Whoever protects these small crea- tures is a g(X)d citizen, and follow in this way the spirit of our Creator. 8 A TRIBUTE TO THE VALUE OF BIRDS. I By HoK. Manning W, Doherty, Minister of Agriculture, Province of Ontario. As the country becomes more thickly settled the question of the efficient protection of birds becomes more urgent. As the forest gives place to faxms there is bound to be a diminution of those species which live only in the deep woods, and those species which live in open woodlands and in open country are brought into closer relation with man. The true position of birds in relation to man is not generally or at all adequately recognized. If some species or even a few indi- viduals of one species, manifest injurious tendencies this fact is at once noticed, but the good work which is carried on, quietly yet unceasingly, by the great majority of species passes almost unrecog- nized. There is also a good deal of misunderstanding in regard to the economic status of various species. Thus all hawks and owls are frequently cpndemned as injurious and are shot at every opix>rtunitj', though as a matter of fact we have in Ontario only two coninion injurious species of hawks and one injurious species of owl, while we have five oommon hawks and four common owls which are beneficial. These nine beneficial birds of prey arc of inestimable value to the farmer in his -warfare against injurious rodents. One of their prin- cipal items of food is mice, which do an immense amount of damage to agricultural products by eating grain, destroying tlu> roots of grasses, thus sometinK»s ruining meadows, and by girdlirig young trees in orchards. Another group of birds whose relationship to man is (juite gi-ii- ernlly misunderstood are the woodpor-kers. They are freciueiitly r-cm- plaiiied of as iujuricus to ordiards. since through faulty observation the work of the yellow-bellied Sajjsucker — that makes the series of rcrnd holes drilled in tlie trunks and larger limbs of trees — is taken for that of the true woodpecker, such as tlie Downy Woodpecker, 9 birds which perform a very valua'ble service for man, in extracting the wood-boring larvae which are destructive to trees. The great majority of birds which inhabit our fields and orchards are highly beneficial. Thus 93 per cent of the food of the Phoebe consists of insects, chiefly of injurious species. Of the food of the Meadowlark 73 per cent consists of insects. The native sparrows, that is all species with the exception of that imported pest, the House Sparrow, are very valuable not only by reason of their insect-eating proclivities, but also 'because they destroy an immense amount of weed seed. The American Goldfinch consumes great quan- tities of thistle seeds. The swallows are ceaselessly active from day- light till dark gathering in flying insects of various species, includ- ing many species which are serious pests. The vireos and the warblers search each leaf and twig for the minute plant lice and the eggs of other kinds of insects. The nuthatches and the Brown Creeper e.xplore the crevices in the bark and extract hibernating insects and their eggs. The Chickadee is also a diligent seeker after small insects and eggs and one Chickadee has been found to eat 1,028 eggs of the cankerworm in one day. These few facts show the economic value of our bird-, and to this we must add their aesthetic value — the joy which their gay plumage, interesting ways and beautiful songs lends to rural life. 10 VALUE OF BIRDS TO AGRICULTURE. Prepared by V. W. Jackson for Hon. Valkntink Winklku, Minister of Agriculture, Province of Manitoba. Birds prevent insect plagues. Phigues of locusts occur only in treeless and birdless countries like Eg:ypt. Where birds are plenti- ful, insects are kept in eheck. The waterfowl of the Mississippi valley save it from the Rocky Mountain locust. Blackbiwls, plover, quails and prairie chicken have rescued Nebraska from crickets several times. Meadowlarks, kingbirds, cuckoos, grouse, killdeers, black terns and gulte have no doubt saved Manit<>ba from the devastat- ing army worm, which, on several raids, never got fartiior than the southwest corner of the province. Grosbeaks, nighthawks, and quails feed upon potato bugs and slugs. The United States has spent millions in investigating the damage due to insects and the value of birds in checking that damage. The annual loss of crops and trees due to insects is thought to be nearly $700,000,000 in the United States, and $125,000,000 in Canada. Fifty thousand birds' stomachs have been examined by the United States Biological Sur- vey, and it was found that over fifty ditfercit i^piK'ies fed ui)on destructive caterpillars, and fifty live upon destructive scale insects and plant lice. One Nighthawk's meal was found to consist of ;?40 grasshoppers. 52 bugs, .3 beetles, 2 wasps and a spider. Robins take five ounces of food per day, Chickadoos will eat 200 to 500 insects per day. Most birds take over 100 insects daily to feed their young, to keep up their higli temperature, and supply energy for twenty active hours per day. Chester A. Rcod gives the follow- ing figures for Massachusetts: 800 square miles x 040 x 5 insect eat- ing birds per acre x 100 insects per day, equals 21,000 bushels of iusects consumed per day in that small state. Five times that amount, would be consumed in all probability in Manitoba. Take a pencil and calculate the value of our birds to Manitoba: 47,000,000 acres of farm land x .'J birds per acre x \\ ounces f»f weed 11 seeds or insects per dny x 150 days, bird season, equals 887,000 tons of pests destroyed each summer by our birds. (J. J. Golden.) Birds also consume great quantities of weed seeds. Our winter liirds — and we have 43 species — live principally upon weed seed?. The Juncos start in early on Russian pigweed, and the buntings, the redpolls, the winter grosbeaks, the jays and the sparrows. In Iowa, 10 sparrows to the square mile during the winter of 200 days, consume 875 tons of weed seeds. Forty species of sparrows in the United States are seed-eaters, 97 per cent of their tood being weed seeds, 64 per cent of the food of the Mourning Dove is weed seeds, and 27 per cent of the INreadowlark's food is weed set Js. Gophers and mice are bad, but they would be worse if it were not for hawks and owls; the hawks work by day and the owls by night. The Horned Owl will swallow a striped gopher entire. The bones and hair are then disgorged as pellets. Thousands of pellets are often found under the roosts of these owls. In the stomach of a young Horned Owl fwo weeks old, the remains of five mice were found. Three thousand skulls of i^ophers and mice were found in the retreat of n pair of Barn Owls. All the hawks are expert at catching young " Fliekertails." Our hawks are not as harmful as supposed. Thousands of stotnachs of hawks have been examined by Fisher, King and Beal. 220 Red-shouldered Hawks : Less that 2 per cent poultry. 66 Broad-winged Hawks : No tra