BIRD PROTECTION 303 



In recent years, because of the great war, the 

 problem of Increased food production and con- 

 servation has been so very Important, the need for 

 bird protection becomes Imperative. I'he destruc- 

 tion of crops from the Inroads of insect pests has 

 become to the farmer and orchardlst an annual 

 menace. So serious In some sections of the 

 country' are these ravages that raising crops has 

 been almost despaired of. The activities of the 

 brown-tall moth in New England, the boll weevil 

 in the cotton fields of the South, the cinch bug 

 and Hessian fly In the wheat fields of the West, 

 the potato bug throughout the North, to men- 

 tion but a few of the most common, at times have 

 reached such proportions as to constitute a 

 serious problem for the farmer, to be met even 

 in a partial degree only by expensive and labori- 

 ous methods. 



A striking instance of the value of birds in crop 

 protection is found in the story of the Franklin 

 gulls coming as by a miracle and saving the crops 

 of the early Mormon settlers from destruction by 

 black crickets. As myriads of crickets had 

 stripped the country the season before, a repe- 

 tition would have meant starvation for the hardy 

 settlers on the very outskirts of civilization. 

 Timely, indeed, was the coming of the gulls, for 

 they completely destroyed the pest, insuring the 

 harvest. The Mormons have commemorated 

 the event by the erection of a beautiful monu- 

 ment in Salt Lake City, and ever since that 

 eventful season Franklin gulls have been safe 

 from harm among this grateful people. 



If you have seen an orchard denuded by the 



