CHAPTER V 



ECONOMIC REASONS FOR PROTECTING THE BIRDS 



IF the farmers once realize what powerful 

 friends they have in the wild birds, they will be 

 the best bird protectors on earth. They will 

 band together and see to it that no one is allowed 

 to cut down their incomes by destroying the 

 most valuable allies they have in their fight 

 against their enemies the weeds, the harmful 

 insects, and the harmful rodents. The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture at Washington, after a 

 careful study of the question, tells us that the 

 annual loss to the farmers of this country from 

 the attacks of insect and rodent pests alone, is 

 about a billion dollars. This means a loss of 

 about a dollar a month for every man, woman, 

 and child in the United States. The loss occa- 

 sioned by the enormous amount of labor re- 

 quired to battle with even partial success against 

 the weeds which everywhere threaten the crops, 

 is also very great. But the farmer's loss is by 

 no means his alone ; we must all share it, whether 

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