Address of the President 283 



extinct in North America. Had the educational work we are now commencing 

 been started before the middle of the last century, these races of birds might have 

 been saved. 



To help us realize the importance of the conservation of wild life, let us for a 

 moment consider the interests involved. No one can deny that the foundation 

 of the wealth of this country is its agriculture and forestry. In just the measure 

 that these industries are hindered is the wealth of the country diminished. The 

 last census (1900) gives the number of farms in the United States as 5,739,657, 

 with an acreage of 841,201,506. Every acre harbors swarms of insect and rodent 

 pests that destroy crops, entaiKng enormous losses, amounting to over one biUion 

 dollars yearly. When we consider these figures, should we not reahze the import- 

 ance of educating the masses to the inter-relation between wild Hfe, and especi- 

 ally of wild birds, to agriculture and forestry ? It is vitally necessary that every 

 agriculturist should know intimately the value of each species of birds, and just 

 what its function is in the work of suppressing insect and rodent pests. When 

 the tillers of the soil have learned these facts as well as they now understand the 

 value of fertihzers, the rotation of crops, and the use of labor-saving devices, 

 the work of the husbandman will be repaid far better than it now is, and much 

 of the annual loss of one billion of dollars will be saved. You may say that you are 

 not engaged in agriculture, and consequently are not interested in, or called upon 

 to help in, this educational work; but we most emphatically say that you are 

 directly and vitally interested. No matter what your daily vocation is, — a banker, 

 manufacturer or tradesman, — you are primarily dependent on the success of 

 agriculture. When the crops are good, trade in all its many ramifications is 

 flourishing; and, on the contrary, when the crops fail, there is an immediate 

 curtaihng of trade, and we hear the well-known cry of "hard times." It has 

 almost become axiomatic; successful agriculture equals general prosperity. You 

 see that you have an interest in advancing agriculture, and consequently should 

 be willing to bear your part in our educational plans. 



This leads us to the important question of what knowledge should be imparted 



to the public about birds. This can only be considered very 

 What briefly at this time; its elaboration is a part of the plan proposed 



Be°Impafted° by the Association. We wish to instruct regarding the value of 



birds. Now, this value consists in the amount of noxious insect 

 and rodent life destroyed by birds while seeking food; therefore it is important 

 that every one should have at least a general knowledge of the food habits of 

 birds. These facts cannot be accurately discovered by the individual, but must 

 be looked for by persons specially qualified for research work. It is the province 

 of this Association and a part of its plan to secure such data, and after arranging 

 it in the simplest and most easily assimilated form, to give it to the masses. A 

 tree has many enemies, which, if left to work unchecked, would kill it in a very 

 short time. We need to show the owner of the tree just what birds feed on the 

 insects that are sapping its life. Every part of the tree has one or more varieties 



