LESSON LIH 

 THE FARMER'S FRIENDS 



Animal life. There are many birds, insects, and 

 other animals that are helpful to the farmer. It is 

 wrong to kill wantonly any living thing, and it is a 

 greater wrong to kill animals that serve us only while 

 living. 



Uses of birds. Nearly all birds do far more good 

 than harm. While much can be said against the Eng- 

 lish sparrow, yet this bird eats large quantities of in- 

 sects and weed seeds. Crows, blackbirds, and wood- 

 peckers do considerable damage, but by destroying 

 insect pests they do more good than harm. Some of 

 the most useful birds are the quail, kingbird, phcebe, 

 meadowlark, cuckoos, orioles, native sparrows, wrens, 

 chickadee, bluebird, and robin. A great number of 

 other birds may be added to this list. Apart from 

 their usefulness the birds are attractive because of 

 their songs and plumage, and all birds should be pro- 

 tected until it is proved beyond a reasonable doubt that 

 they are more harmful than useful. The damage done 

 by birds in eating fruit and grain is trifling compared 

 with the good done in eating countless millions of nox- 

 ious insects and weed seeds. 



B. AND D. AG. 16 24! 



