392 ANNUAL REPOJiT OF THE Off. Dv)C. 



the property of mankind in any great manner. The Osprey is like- 

 wise rare, and a graceful, beautiful bird. The Blue Herron has also 

 become rare, and while it feeds mostly on fishes of inferior variety, 

 such as minnows and suckers, and sometimes on the smaller kinds 

 of frogs, we have also seen it devour gophers and similar rodents, 

 which are very destructive. The Bittern feeds only on aquatic 

 material, taking mostly the inferior fishes, moUusks, aquatic insects, 

 and occasionally frogs. TTie frogs eaten by such birds, however, 

 are mostly the small and useless varieties, and the removal of these 

 from along our streams would doubtless result only in leaving a 

 better food supply for the Bull-frog (Rana catesbiana), which is 

 about the only one worthy of the attention of epicures and frog 

 collectors. 



Another bird that should be placed on the protected list is the 

 Quail, and I would ask the respectful consideration of the following 

 Resolution by the several committees of this Board: 



"Whereas, the Quail, sometimes known as the "Bob White" is 

 known to be a most valuable bird on the farm, for its destruction 

 of weed seeds and insect pests. 



"Therefore, Be It Resolved: That we request legislation provid- 

 ing for re-stocking this State with Quail, and protecting this bird 

 by all possible means for a period of at least five years." 



A closed season for at least five years would do much toward in- 

 creasing this most valuable bird. 



It is the opinion of the Ornithologist that our efforts should be 

 to protect and preserve more rather than fewer of our birds, and 

 for this reason we shall regret seeing these creatures destroyed, 

 and recommend legal measures for their preservation. 



REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON FERTILIZERS. 



By JASON SEXTON, Chairman. 



The term "Fertilizer" is so broad in its meaning that it would 

 seem to include all substances that tend to increase tht' fer- 

 tility of our lands, in fact, it means so much when ap- 

 plied to agriculture, one would need to travel over the 

 old countries of Europe and study the methods used there, 

 where not a pound of any substance that has any fer- 

 tilizing value in it, is allowed to go to waste, and where after 

 hundreds of years of crop growing and constant tillage they know 

 of no such thing as worn-out lands, nor of conditions such as exist 

 in this country — but where, under their system of heavy cropping, 

 the farmers are constantly improving their lands, which is don*? by 

 a system of economy whereby they return to the soil all that has 

 been extracted from it after it has served its purposes to sustain 

 and feed both the human family and their domestic animals. In 

 this country we make up for our careless and wasteful methods by 

 purchasing expensive commercial fertilizers for which as farmers 

 we created a demand so great, that shrewd business men have in- 



