﻿GRAIN 
  AS 
  FOOD. 
  15 
  

  

  the 
  damage 
  is 
  greater 
  than 
  implied 
  by 
  the 
  figures. 
  However, 
  it 
  is 
  to 
  

   be 
  noted 
  that 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  wheat 
  eaten 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  comes 
  from 
  fields 
  

   sown 
  broadcast, 
  and 
  that 
  absolutely 
  nothing 
  is 
  done 
  by 
  the 
  farmers 
  to 
  

   protect 
  the 
  seed. 
  The 
  very 
  best 
  protective 
  measure 
  — 
  drilling— 
  costs 
  

   no 
  more 
  than 
  broadcasting, 
  except 
  for 
  very 
  small 
  areas, 
  and 
  besides 
  

   completely 
  protecting 
  the 
  wheat 
  from 
  the 
  birds, 
  it 
  has 
  the 
  further 
  

   advantages 
  that 
  it 
  increases 
  the 
  yield 
  per 
  acre 
  and 
  also 
  improves 
  the 
  

   quality 
  of 
  the 
  grain. 
  

  

  Joseph 
  Mailliard, 
  of 
  San 
  Geronimo, 
  Marin 
  County, 
  Cal., 
  writes 
  

   (July, 
  1905): 
  

  

  Grain 
  is 
  drilled 
  in 
  to 
  quite 
  an 
  extent 
  now, 
  but 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  grain 
  fields 
  

   are 
  sown 
  with 
  the 
  broadcasting 
  machine 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  greater 
  rapidity. 
  This 
  leaves 
  

   more 
  or 
  less 
  grain 
  on 
  and 
  near 
  the 
  surface, 
  which 
  naturally 
  falls 
  a 
  prey 
  to 
  certain 
  

   species 
  of 
  birds 
  when 
  conditions 
  are 
  right. 
  I 
  should 
  say 
  that 
  the 
  horned 
  larks 
  

   would 
  only 
  attack 
  grain 
  when 
  food 
  was 
  scarce 
  in 
  their 
  own 
  feeding 
  grounds, 
  which 
  

   are 
  usually 
  grass-grown 
  meadows 
  and 
  uplands. 
  

  

  Lyman 
  Belding, 
  of 
  Stockton, 
  San 
  Joaquin 
  County, 
  who 
  has 
  had 
  

   many 
  years 
  of 
  experience 
  in 
  the 
  California 
  grain 
  country, 
  says 
  (July, 
  

  

  1905): 
  

  

  As 
  far 
  as 
  my 
  observation 
  goes 
  there 
  is 
  less 
  wheat 
  planted 
  by 
  drills 
  late 
  years 
  than 
  

   formerly. 
  

  

  Concerning 
  the 
  depredations 
  of 
  the 
  larks 
  he 
  continues: 
  

  

  I 
  can 
  say 
  positively 
  that 
  the 
  damage 
  done 
  by 
  these 
  birds 
  in 
  California 
  is 
  not 
  

   worthy 
  of 
  the 
  least 
  consideration, 
  because 
  the 
  shore 
  larks 
  are 
  not 
  numerous 
  and 
  we 
  

   have 
  millions 
  of 
  acres 
  of 
  wheat. 
  Like 
  our 
  meadow 
  lark 
  and 
  Brewer's 
  blackbird, 
  the 
  

   damage 
  done 
  by 
  them 
  would 
  only 
  be 
  noticeable 
  on 
  a 
  small 
  field 
  of 
  wheat 
  that 
  was 
  

   much 
  later 
  than 
  adjoining 
  wheat 
  fields; 
  but, 
  unlike 
  the 
  meadow 
  lark 
  and 
  blackbird, 
  

   it 
  does 
  not 
  probe 
  the 
  ground 
  for 
  the 
  wheat 
  kernel 
  — 
  it 
  merely 
  eats 
  a 
  little 
  wheat 
  that 
  

   is 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  not 
  yet 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  harrow 
  in 
  seeding 
  time. 
  I 
  

   have 
  observed 
  them 
  closely 
  in 
  Butte 
  and 
  this 
  county, 
  and 
  am 
  positive 
  the 
  statement 
  

   made 
  above 
  is 
  correct. 
  

  

  Comparing 
  the 
  above 
  with 
  previous 
  quotations 
  it 
  is 
  seen 
  that 
  opin- 
  

   ions 
  differ 
  concerning 
  the 
  economic 
  status 
  of 
  the 
  horned 
  larks, 
  but 
  that 
  

   at 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  the 
  consensus 
  of 
  opinion 
  is 
  favorable 
  to 
  the 
  bird. 
  

  

  It 
  appears 
  that 
  injury 
  from 
  the 
  larks 
  is 
  suffered 
  also 
  in 
  the 
  spring- 
  

   wheat 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  plains. 
  Charles 
  L. 
  King, 
  of 
  Millbank, 
  

   S. 
  Dak., 
  writes: 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  bird 
  called 
  wheat 
  bird 
  * 
  * 
  * 
  that 
  comes 
  in 
  early 
  spring 
  in 
  great 
  

   numbers 
  when 
  the 
  farmer 
  is 
  sowing 
  grain, 
  and 
  all 
  grain 
  left 
  on 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  is 
  

   very 
  soon 
  picked 
  up. 
  

  

  T. 
  P. 
  Lindley, 
  of 
  St. 
  Ansgar, 
  S. 
  Dak., 
  corroborates 
  this 
  by 
  the 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  testimony: 
  

  

  The 
  worst 
  birds 
  we 
  have 
  in 
  Dakota 
  are 
  small 
  prairie 
  birds. 
  They 
  eat 
  wheat 
  while 
  

   it 
  is 
  being 
  sown. 
  They 
  are 
  small, 
  but 
  so 
  numerous 
  that 
  they 
  take 
  one-third 
  to 
  one- 
  

   half 
  of 
  the 
  crop 
  if 
  it 
  is 
  left 
  uncovered 
  for 
  a 
  day 
  or 
  two. 
  They 
  do 
  not 
  dig 
  the 
  wheat 
  

   out, 
  but 
  pick 
  it 
  up 
  before 
  it 
  is 
  covered. 
  

  

  