1064 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



tacked up the sanctuary signs. This record was even 

 exceeded by another girl on a Montana homestead who, 

 after covering her own district on horseback, persuaded 

 her father to take her in the motor to far distant sec- 

 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 ' '^5^"^ 

 growing of garden crops an impossi- One of the most useful of birds, it 

 bility. Figures compiled by govern- 2SETST Je'r..".^ ^.ty'Sf 

 ment investigators were quoted to %JgFwk% 9 i 2Z with 

 show the enormous numbers of weed a 8Un 

 seeds and insects eaten by the quail, robin, bluebird, 

 flicker, nighthawk, meadowlark, and all the more com- 

 mon 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 plumage, 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 

 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 will 

 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- 





Photograph by Brown Brothers 



THE MEADOWLARK 

 It devours vast quantities of the white grubs 

 which attack the roots of growing crops 



;ven cotton ball we 



stomach of one lark 



that the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund award 

 four gold medals instead of one, thus signalizing the im- 

 portance of the results achieved. The encouraging aspect 

 of the situation in its broader outlook is that the sanctu- 

 ary plan, while it won the enthusiastic sup- 

 porl 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. 

 Among the thousands of 

 sanctuaries obtained, there were 

 many of one acre, and they ran 

 all the way from that up to one of 

 thousand acres in New Mexico. 

 Many ministers preached sermons on the 

 subject and delivered speeches at State 

 and gatherings of farmers. One minister 

 actually spent $147 of his own money to secure 

 pledges and succeeded in signing up 65,268 acres 

 in seven counties in West Virginia. Another 

 minister in Pennsylvania signed up 72,932 acres 

 as a result of his personal enthusiasm. Each of 

 these clergymen was awarded a gold medal by 

 the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund. In the heart 

 of a big game country, 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 

 of a magazine. Many schools in the various 

 States 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 I 

 and should be exterminated. This 

 prejudice, while not at present so 

 common as a few years ago, thanks to I 

 the educational work carried on byj 

 the friends of birds, is still strongly! 

 enough entrenched to cause much re-j 

 sistance. An even greater handicap [ 

 was the objection of hunters to giv- 

 ing up their sport. Many propertyl 



!' . l C 



tion's wild life, thought SO highly Fortv-seven cotton ball weevil's were found 



of this sanctuary movement that he 



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 



