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6 Agriculture of Pennsylvania. [No. 2, 
may be endangered ; while the wholesale use of such 
poisons, without regard to the seasons, will result in th*e 
death of many species of wild birds. 
[3] Sparrows being most abundant in towns and cities, where 
fire-arms cannot be used, poison is certain to be resorted 
to at all seasons, and by the mcst irresponsible people. 
[B] With regard to expense. 
[IJ A low bounty, one or two cents per head, would be useless, 
and any higher bounty is impracticable. The first is dem- 
onstrated practically by the Michigan law and its results, 
and the second by the Montana law on prairie dogs and 
ground squirrels ; while both points are sustained by the 
hypothetical case to be mentioned presently. 
Reasons Why a Low Bounty Would be Useless. 
Sparrows can be killed in large numbers in but two ways, so far as 
we know ; they may be poisoned or they may be regularly baited and 
then shot. 
Poison cannot be used indiscriminately. Shooting into flocks can- 
not be practiced in towns and cities. 
Ill the country shooting into flocks might yield fair results for a 
very short time, but the expense of grain for baiting, and the time 
consumed in watching would soon cause this method to be abandoned. 
Shooting sparrows one at a time would be very expensive except 
under unusual conditions. 
Bounties on Sparrows in Pennsylvania. 
Area of State about 29,440,000 acres. 
Let us figure on 20,000,000 acres of sparrow country, and allow two 
sparrows to the acre. We thus start with 40,000,000 sparrows. 
If all killed at once, this would cost, at one cent apiece, $+00,000. 
But a bounty of one cent would make no perceptible change in 
numbers. 
Suppose, now, we have unlimited meano, and hearty cooperation 
throughout the State, and kill as follows : 
Jan. to April, 50 per cent., 20,000,000 
April to July, 40 of remaining adults, 8,000,000 
arid 50 “ “ increase, 20,000,000 
July to Sept., 33.^ “ “ remaining adu. s, 4,000,000 
and 50 “ “ increase, 6,000,000 
and 50 “ “ immature, . , 10,000,000 
Oct. to Jan., 40 “ all renirnning, , 9,600,000 
77,600,000 
And 14,400,000 left. 
The second year, according to the sanfi' plan, would 
show, killed 27,936,000 
and 5,184,000 left 
Third year, killed, 10,056,960 
and 1,866,240 left 
Fourth year, killed, 3,620,504 
and 671,848 left. 
Fifth year, killed 1,303,385 
and 241,865 left 
120,516,849 
Cost of Bounties on Sparrows. 
Such a reduction in numbers could not be accomplished except by 
very high bounties, if at all, but even at one cent per head, the first 
year's work would cost, in bounties, $776,000. 
