File:Agriculture and the farming business (1917) (14771061054).jpg

Identifier: agriculturefarmi00bens (find matches)
Title: Agriculture and the farming business
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Benson, Oscar Herman, 1875-1951. (from old catalog) Betts, George Herbert, 1868-1934, (from old catalog) joint author
Subjects: Agriculture Farm management
Publisher: Indianapolis, The Bobbs-Merrill company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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d by birds and other creaturesthat prey upon these pests for food. It is well that all whoare interested in agriculture should come to know the birdsthat are most useful, that they may be protected and en-couraged in every way possible. Birds as Policemen of the Air It has been carefully estimated by expert entomologiststhat insects yearly cause a loss of more than $700,000,000to the farmers of the United States. Were it not for thework of our birds the amount of this loss would be incal-culably greater. Indeed, some authorities claim that with-out the help of these feathered friends the insect enemiesof farm crops would ultimately triumph and successfulagriculture would come to an end. Birds prey upon insects.—Not only do most birds ingeneral find a considerable proportion of their diet amongthe harmful insects which so constantly levy tribute on thefarmers crops, but because of their powers of flight theycan easily gather at points where any unusual outbreak of 430 AGRICULTURE AND
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A favorite food of tlie birds. THE FARMING BUSINESS 431 insects threaten completely to destroy the crops. For ex-ample, it has been noted that an unusual abundance ofgrasshoppers is sure to attract a large flock of birds fromwidely scattered areas and that these visitors leave theregion only when they have exhausted the grasshoppersupply. It has been similarly observed that any largeincrease in the number of small rodents, such as field mice,gophers and the like, quickly draws a large number ofhawks and owls, which, while satisfying their own enor-mous appetites, produce a diminution in the number of thefoe, if indeed they do not succeed in their entire extermina-tion. Birds require an unusual amount of food for their sizeand weight. While they are usually short lived they live ata rapid rate, breathing more rapidly and maintaining ahigher temperature and a faster circulation than othervertebrates. This characteristic renders it necessary forbirds to devote the greater part of their t

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