1064 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



tacked up the sanctuary signs. This record was even that the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund award 



exceeded by another girl on a Montana homestead who, four gold medals instead of one, thus signalizing the im- 



after covering her own district on horseback, persuaded portance of the results achieved. The encouraging aspect 



her father to take her in the motor to far distant sec- of the situation in its broader outlook is that the sanctu- 



tions. Her efforts resulted in more than fifty 



thousand acres being pledged as sanctuaries. 



In urging the establishment of sanctu- 

 aries, the aesthetic value of birds was not ^ 

 ignored nor the pleasure to 

 be derived from the beauty 

 of their plumage and the 

 charm of their song; but the 

 big emphasis was placed on 

 the practical and patriotic 

 argument that the protection 

 of birds was part of the uni- 

 versal effort to win the war, 

 and that the protection of 

 birds meant bigger and bet- 

 ter crops and more food. 



It was shown that but for 

 efforts of birds, insects and weeds 

 would in time make the profitable 

 growing of garden crops an impossi- 

 bility. Figures compiled by govern- 

 ment investigators were quoted to ^ZJi^i'^J^'tr'T ^tn '^„h 

 show the enormous numbers of weed ^ ^'""' 



Fhotosjraph by Henry Hill 



THE SPARROW HAWK 



It 



One of tlie most useful of birds. _. 

 destroys large quantities of field 

 miee as well as a great variety of 



ary plan, while it won the enthusiastic sup- 

 iDit of the youngsters from the start, receiv- 

 ed its most effective support from 

 ^ thoughtful men and women who 



recognized it as an opportunity to 

 establish bird conservation 

 as a permanent popular 

 movement of which future 

 generations could feel proud. 

 x\mong the thousands of 

 sanctuaries obtained, there were 

 many of one acre, and they ran 

 all the way from that up to one of 

 llfty thousand acres in New Mexico. 

 Many ministers preached sermons on the 

 subject and delivered speeches at State 

 airs and gatherings of farmers. One minister 

 actually spent $147 of his own money to secure 

 pledges and succeeded in signing up 65,268 acres 

 m seven counties in West Virginia. Another 

 minister in Pennsylvaiiia signed up 72,932 acres 

 as a result of his personal enthtisiasm. Each of 

 these clergymen was awarded a gold medal by 



seeds and insects eaten by the quail, robin, bluebird, the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund. In the heart 



flicker, nighthawk, meadowlark, and all the more com 

 nion birds of the American fields and woods. The fact 

 was emphasized that such birds as owls, hawks and 

 crows, which ordinarily have an evil 

 reputation, largely because they are 

 songless and plain of jilumage, are in- 

 dispensible as destroyers of field mice 

 and other pests that destroy and dam- 

 age millions of dollars worth of food annual- 

 ly, the total destruction of farm products in 

 a single year having been estimated at nearly 

 a billion dollars. 



The results achieved from the start and the 

 enthusiastic response were so notable that the 

 attention of Mr. Herbert Hoover was attracted. In 

 a letter to The Journal, commending its work, he 

 said: "I hope the people of the United States 

 be made to realize how closely related to this whole 

 question of food-saving is the protection and en- 

 couragement of insectivorous and migratory birds." 



Dr. William T. Hornaday, head of 

 the New York Zoological Park and 

 managing director of the Permanent 

 Wild Life Protection Fund, an organi- 

 zation for the protection of the na- 

 tion's wild life, thought so highly 

 of this sanctuary movement that he 



Pbotogral I 



Till'. Mi:.\D(nVI,.\RK 



It devours vast quantities of the white grubs 

 which attack the roots of RrowinR crops. 

 Forty-seven cotton ball weevils were found 

 in the stomach of one lark. 



of a big game coimtry, Saskatchawan, Canada, a game 

 guardian was inspired to take up the sanctuary work 

 and succeeded in securing 37,745 acres posted for bird 

 protection under no small difficulties. 



The whole campaign has shown that the work was 

 made far reaching and effective as a result of appealing 

 strongly to the popular mind through the columns 

 magazine. Many schools in the various 

 ites took up the work and in this way the 

 movement was given an impetus which will 

 not be allowed to die through neglect, 

 now that it has had such a favor- 

 able start. 



The sanctuary workers often 

 found their task far from 

 easy. First there was to be 

 overcome the well estab- 

 lished belief among farm- 

 ers that birds destroy crops 

 md should be exterminated. This 

 prejudice, while not at present so 

 common as a few years ago, thanks to 

 the educational work carried on by 

 the friends of birds, is still strongly 

 enough entrenched to cause much re- 

 sistance. An even greater handicap 

 was the objection of hunters to giv- 

 ing up their sport. Many property 



caused the fund to offer its exceptional gold medal as an owners were ready enough to bar other hunters from 



added incentive for the workers. At the end of the their property but wanted to reserve the right to hunt 



1918 campaign. Dr. Hornaday was so greatly impressed on their own preserves. Any property owner who in- 



by the marvelous results achieved that he recommended sisted on this right was not accepted as a sanctuary signer. 



