OCR Text |
Show Birds Eat Boll Wrevil THE biological survey of the United States Deportment of Agriculture has hit upon a somewhat novel method of aiding the southern cotton planter in his war against tho boll weevil. As Is well known, this insect in-sect invaded the state of Texas several years ago and has damaged the cotton crop to the extent of millions of dollars annually. Do- j epltu efforts to stay Its Increase, It Is spread- Ing at the rate of about fifty miles a year ond . unquestionably in time will extend Its rav- I ages Into all the cotton states ' Tho survey has been Investigating lh pest In Texas for several years and' finds that I no fewer than thirty-eight species of bird I feed upon the Insect. It Is not cl.ilmcd that j birds alone can check tho spread of th0 I weevil, but It has been demonstrated thit thry aro an Important help which the farmer cannot afford to Ignore. Hence an appeal mado to the northern farmer to aid In the ' work on the ground that the Insect enemy of J tho farrr.or of every district Is tho coinmn enemy of tho country' ami that a full measure of success Is to be obtained e-nly through ' I co-opcratlon. Tho Importance to the cott'-n 1 planter also of colonies or swallows is cro- phaslzcd, and the best means of Inerea-iinK j their numbers In tho southern states is set- j forth |