Western United States, 1918 : correspondence, field reports, and reference materials (2 of 2)

Title Variants

Alternative: Western United States, 1918 : Correspondence, field reports, and reference materials

Related Titles

Contained In: Alexander Wetmore Papers, circa 1848-1979 and undated
Series: SIA RU007006
Series: Smithsonian Field Book Project : an initiative to improve access to field book content that documents natural history

By

Wetmore, Alexander, 1886-1978

Type

Book

Material

Archival material

Publication info

1918-1919

Notes

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, permitsReports 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).

Subjects

Arkansas , Blackbirds , California , Clippings (information artifacts) , Correspondence , Crop losses , De Witt , Ducks , Field notes , Kansas , Ornithology , Reports , Rice , United States , United States Dept. of Agriculture , Washington

BHL Collections

Smithsonian Field Books collection

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.124057