40 THE GAME BREEDER 



about any important matter is as vicious birds and to donate a little land to their 



as falsehood. use unless it pays to- do so. Those who 



Will a farmer sign a petition to pre- take a real interest in birds which are 

 vent his neighbor from rearing any kind good to eat easily can have plenty of the 

 of food for profit on his land if he is highly desirable food and when the food 

 told that the right to do this always in- is made plentiful no doubt there will 

 creases the value of the land, when game be plenty of music. The abundant sing- 

 is the crop introduced and cultivated, ers may help some by eating weed seeds 

 Certainly not. There are records where and insects. If, as the farmers are told, 

 the value of the land has been more than the birds are beneficial why should laws 

 doubled. Will a farmer sign a petition be enacted preventing them from making 

 to prevent him or his neighbor from the beneficials profitably plentiful and 

 having plenty of quail to eat if he is told keeping them so. Why say they may have 

 that he can do so easily and that the crop pheasants but not quails ? Are not laws 

 will be profitable? which say in effect say you may have 



The petitions usually are signed by red birds but not brown ones ridiculous ? 



people who do not wish to entertain Especially when the naturalists say that 



trespassing shooters and who are led to the indigenous birds are highly desirable 



believe that the only way to stop them is for food and are beneficial to agricul- 



to prohibit sport. The average farmer ture. Would it not be far better if the 



we are sure is going to vote right when bird societies would make some prac- 



the matter is properly presented at the tical experiments with the food birds than 



polls, as it no doubt will be some day. We to put in their time securing laws mak- 



believe the state game departments which ing it criminal for any one to do so 



permit themselves to be run by bird so- profitably? 



cieties are likely to experience something Would it not be a good idea for the 



which happened to the renowned Hump- Rhinebeck Bird Club to tell the farmers, 



ty Dumpty who sat on a wall. "who long for the day to return when 



The New York commissioner recently the sound of the cheery whistle of the 

 had the opportunity to close quail pro- quail may again be common in their 

 duction on Long Island and to exter- fields," how they quickly can hasten the 

 minate the quail there. He was urged coming of the longed for day and that 

 to do this by one of the big bird socie- it will be found profitable to do so. 

 ties — big financially — although it con- Mr. Abbott says in his letter, "in spite 

 tains, we believe, only one member and of protection the bird is having great 

 a treasurer to hold the bag. It is said difficulty in holding its own." Why per- 

 to take in as much as an hundred thou- petuate the difficulty the causes for 

 sand in a year. This amount seems trifl- which are well known to naturalists ? 

 ing when compared to the revenues of The better way would be to remove the 

 some of the real big bird societies and difficulty. A little practical protection 

 protective societies which go in for more which includes a little planting especially 

 laws and to the state departments which for the birds, a little protection from 

 spend millions of dollars every year in cats and natural enemies and the pur- 

 ine effort to save the wild food birds with chase of some stock birds, is all that 

 rather bad results, thus far, if we are any is necessary. Laws preventing such in- 

 judge of food abundance in the markets, dustry are not creditable to any bird so- 



The game commissioner rightly denied ciety or beneficial to the game or the 



the application to prohibit quail produc- farmer. Laws permitting and encour- 



tion on Long Island. We can see no aging the profitable production of pheas- 



reason why he should not advocate a law ants quickly made America the biggest 



permitting any one to have quail on his pheasant producing country in the world, 



farm in other parts of the state if he Why substitute pheasants for our in- 



wants to. No one can be expected, of digenous birds which quickly can be 



course, to purchase and introduce stock made as plentiful as partridges are in 



