30 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
(Continued from page 27) 
si tv a t present seems to be doing noth¬ 
ing to encourage attention to this mat¬ 
ter, though they should do so, and as 
for our state, the bird laws while better 
than in many states, leave the black¬ 
bird unprotected. The State Game 
Warden ought to have advisory powers 
where birds constitute a pest, to destroy 
the surplus, and where they aid the 
community, powers to protect even 
blacklisted species. Thus, some of the 
fanners who are troubled badly with 
“white grubs” destroying the roots of 
corn, strawberry and the like, fail to 
note the value of these “black rascals,” 
as they call blackbirds, at plowing time, 
when it is easv to get the birds to fol- 
low the plow and pick up up-turned 
grubs before the latter have a chance 
to bury themselves again. The picture 
of the birds following a man at his plow 
as painted in words by Mrs. Gene Strat¬ 
ton Porter in her late book entitled 
“What I Have Done With Birds.” 
should be read by every farmer whether 
or not he believes blackbirds to be a 
nuisance at most times. A symposium 
on the damage which blackbirds do in 
this state could be followed up to ad¬ 
vantage by the readers of “By the 
Wayside,” since such facts will have 
/o be thrashed over by the legislature 
before they will ever consent to pul: 
these birds on the protected lists. Pub¬ 
lic opinion is very strong both for and 
(ir; am si Ihe blackbird, despite the ’well 
known publications of the biological 
survey seeking their protection. 
By Prof J. G. Sanders, 
State Entomologist (Wis.). 
The Last Days of the Scarecrow 
Showing that the "Wild Bird is not the 
Farmer’s Enemy but an Extra Hand 
who Works for his Board. 
By William L. Finley 
(Author of American Birds) 
The real wealth of the country is 
based upon the products of agriculture 
and horticulture. The prosperity of 
the nation depends upon a prosperous 
farming class. Without the help of 
our wild birds, farming u 7 ould be im¬ 
possible. No other farm hands could 
accomplish the work entrusted to birds. 
Tin ? wild birds of orchard, field, and 
forest are Nature’s check upon the in¬ 
crease of insect life. With the great 
handicap of bird destruction in our 
present day the loss from insect and 
rodent pests in the United States the 
past year is estimated to be eight hun¬ 
dred million dollars. This loss can be 
reduced only when a public sentiment 
is aroused for proper bird protection. 
The practical farmer can not afford to 
ignore the relations that wild birds 
bear to his crops. They are part of the 
natural resources of any farm. The 
farmer will prosper in proportion to the 
way he encourages these extra hands 
Nature has given him. 
Birds Police Earth and Air 
Birds work more in conjunction with 
men to help him than does any other 
form of outdoor life. They police the 
earth and air, and without their serv¬ 
ices the farmer would be helpless. 
Larks, wrens and thrushes search the 
ground for grubs and insects. The 
food of the meadow lark consists of 
seventy-five per cent, of injurious in- 
