THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



THE BOBWHITE QUAIL 



Facts That Show the Value of This Bird From an 

 Economic Standpoint. 



By C. F. HODGE. 



The bobwhite is a splendid combination insect trap, weed- 

 killer and game bird, and as a booster proposition his cheer- 

 ful whistle is also unexcelled. At the former price of 

 five or six dollars a dozen the United States Department of 

 Agriculture rated the rearing of this quail as more profitable 

 than any other line of poultry; and the price for breeding stock 

 last year reached twenty five dollars a dozen, with supply far be- 

 low demand. 



The high value placed on the bobwhite is due to a combi- 

 nation of good points. Many sportsmen place it at the head of 

 the list for upland birds in the matter of pure sport. They are 

 easily propagated, very prolific, and can be increased rapidly 

 under protection. Finally, as the foods of this species become 

 generally understood, the weight of evidence for service ren- 

 dered must place the bobwhite up to the natural limits of its 

 insect and weed seed food supply, on every farm and in every 

 garden within its possible range. 



The annual damage to agriculture by weeds is estimated at 

 nearly $500,000,000. Nearly 53 per cent of the quail's food is 

 weed seeds, and of the 129 weeds it is known to destroy, many 

 are the worst we have — among them beggar's ticks, bindweed, 

 Canada thistle, burdock, curled dock, wild mustard, ragweed, 

 pigweed, lamb's quarters, parsley, sorrel and witch grass. In 

 a single day's ration a bobwhite has been found to eat amounts 

 of weed seeds as follows: 



Wild mustard 2,500 Peppergrass . . . .• 2,400 



Burdock 600 Pigweed 12,000 



Curled dock 4,175 Plantain 12,500 



Dodder 1,560 Babbit 's foot clover 30,000 



Evening primrose 10,000 ■ Smartweed 2,250 



Lambs ' quarters 15,000 White vervain 18,750 



Pag-e seven 



