42 



HUNTING AND FISHING IN MONTANA 



Coyote. Jardine, Montana 



district, these ill advised people, having sown to the wind they are now 

 reaping the whirlwind, as all small grain crops are found to be dam- 

 aged largely by insects, and yet our friends will tell us we are misin- 

 formed — strychnine and small grain will not destroy the bird family. 



A few days ago a lady resident of Cascade County called at our 

 office and informed us that we were doing a good work, and asked us 

 to continue the publication of all the proof we could secure, as she 

 thought the practice of distributing the poisoned grain infamous and 

 cruel. This kind lady called to our attention what experience they had 

 had upon the ranch as a result of the distribution of poisoned grain. 

 These people had a very fine canine which came in contact with the 

 poisoned birds and became quite ill, and to relieve the animal of its 

 misery it was killed, and its head severed from its body and sent to 

 Bozeman College for examination. The good lady was informed that 

 her pet canine had strychnine poisoning. The hogs upon the ranch be- 

 came much distressed, and would indulge in squealing and running 

 about the corral all night long. A veterinary surgeon was called in, 

 and upon investigation he was satisfied that the trouble was strychnine 

 poisoning. Permit me to say, when you can distress the porker with 

 the gopher food, do not tell me it will not injure the birds. 



Permit me to quote to you information given us by the Agricul- 

 tural Department, Washington, D. C, that through the ravages of in- 

 sects the loss to agricultural interests is 15 per cent, and that a loss 

 of 10 per cent would mean more than one billion of dollars to the 

 farmers of the United States. I3y way of comparison, it is claimed we 

 have 600 colleges and universities in the United States, including build- 

 ings and endowments; the value exceeds $500,000,000.00. The loss to 

 agriculture in the United States through the ravages of insects in a 

 single year would replace the buildings and endowments were they 

 from any cause destroyed, and leave unexpended $500.000.000.00 — a sum 

 sulficient to create and endow a like amount of 600 additional colleges 

 and universities. 



Zoologists tell us most young birds while in their nests are fed 

 upon insect life, and that each one daily consumes an amount of animal 

 food in the shape of insects equal to its own weight. Say there is but 

 a single nest to the acre in this state, and each nest contains four 



