R_lI-8-31-31 



-3- 



Weighing starling's good habits against their baxi ones, however, our 

 scientists credit starlings TTith doing inucli more good than harm. They aure 

 insect eating birds, and observations of them in the field has established the 

 fact that the time spent by starliiigs in destroying crops or in molesting other 

 birds is short compared to the endless hours they spend searching for insects 

 or feeding on wild fruit. 



Starlings help destroy such pests as the clover-leaf weevil, the 

 Japanese beetle, May beetles, cutworms, and yes, grasshoppers too. As insect 

 dostroyors starlings arc more energetic than some of omt protected native birds. 

 Farmers 'Bulletin ITo. 1571 on "The Eiiropean Starling in the United States" 

 weighs their good and bad qualities and also tells hovr to control them, when 

 that is necessarj"-. 



ITow let's turn to a different subject smd observe another phaso of wild 

 life and life in the wild, 



Mr, Earl V!, Tinker, regional forester of the United States Forest Serviee, 

 has been telling mc some of the unusual problems in fire protection in the 

 Superior National Forest in Minnesota. 



As you know, one of the problems of fighting fire anywhere is getting 

 the fire fighters to the fire and getting them there promptly. 



In most of our forests, there are a network of roads and trails designed 

 to permit fast travel. But in the Superior Hational Forest we have some 1,000 

 square miles set aside as a primitive area, where there are no roads, and 

 practically no trails. It is a wild country, with little hiaman habitation, but 

 plenty of game such as moose, and deer, and wolves, and other fur animals. 

 And what's more it is interlaced with a labyrinth of waterways, lakes, axid. 

 great areas of spruce and muskeg swamp. 



lir. Tinker says it is practically impassable to foot travel in s-uramer. 

 The cruising of timber and other activities of the Forest Service are done in 

 winter when the lakes and swamps and streams are frozen and dog teams can be 

 used for transportation. The usual way to get around in s-ummer is by canoe 



and portage — and that is slow hard work too slow for men going to a fire. 



One and one— half miles an hour is considered high speed in that region. 



To meet that situation, the Forest Service plans to improve the portages 

 and on the chief travel routes to install light tracks over which fire equip- 

 ment can be moved faster. They also plan to improve the water routes by 

 installing dams to do away with slow portage work. Hydroplanes have proved 

 a great success in rapid transporation of small fire-fighting crews. By the use 

 of planesj,_ small crews have been carried to the scene of a forest fire in the 

 Superior National Forest in 30 minutes where previously it took a day and a 

 half. 



ANlTOUITCUfSITT! Those bulletins mentioned are free of charge, as long as the 



supply lasts. Tou can get them either from this Station ^or direct from the 



United States Department of Agriculture. Ask for Farmers' Bulletin No. 587 — 

 5-8-7— on "The Economic Value of North American Skunks*" and Farmers' Bulletin 

 No. 1571 — 1-5-7-1 — on "The European Starling in the United States." 



