12 
Agriculture of Pennsylvania. 
[No. 2, 
nine is intended to provide mean s for a thorough and economical en force- 
ment of this law, and an abatement of the enormous waste of property 
caused by the English sparrow. It may be that a separate bill should 
be prepared creating the office of State Ornithologist and giving the 
state power to allow that officer a sufficient sum of money to enable 
him to employ assistants and whatever materials and appliances might 
be necessary for the proper prosecution of the work. 
What would seem a liberal appropriation toward checking the spar- 
row pest, would be but a bagatelle compared with what it would each 
year cost the state if it paid the small bouniy of one cent each. I 
believe that $20,000 in the hands of the right man will give better 
results than $200,000 could accomplish expended in bounties. 
At least the experiment could be tried without danger of bank- 
ruptcy and some of its advantages might be summed up as follows : 
Millions of sparrows with their nests and eggs would certainly be 
destroyed. Cxood birds would be piotected and thereby partly count- 
eract the harm done by the sparrow. 
A collection of all the birds of our State would soon be arranged 
for the benefit and instruction of all. 
Various means of sparrow extermination would be thoroughly tested 
and the best selected. 
The results by annual report would be of immense value to agricul- 
turists. 
The very fact that the bird interest has an efficient head will stimu- 
late and interest many apathetic citizens. 
Since we have a great work which must be done, shall we not ap- 
point an efficient man to do it ? 
I have no doubt but that the Legislature will gladly pass such laws 
as the State Board of Agriculture may recommend as most desirable. 
