OCR Text |
Show Quail, Farmers' Friend, Must Have Food Supply Among the chief causes for lack of quail and upland birds on farms may be scarcity of necessary food and cover. Failure to supply substitute sub-stitute "patches" when natural feeding ground has been destroyed and neglect to preserve the natural cover for the bob-white's habitat, are among the chief causes of gradual grad-ual reduction, says the Missouri Farmer. Many measures may be taken on the average farm to increase in-crease or Improve the food for quail and help bring about an increase in-crease in their numbers. Seed can be broadcast in early spring around gulleys and washes, on roadsides, around the borders of fields and like situations. Cain, hemp, lespedeza, clover and many species of small wild beans and cowpeas provide excellent sustenance sus-tenance for quail. Once started les-. les-. pedeza volunteers year after year, unless killed out by burning the land over after the seed germinates In the spring. When harvesting grain a few rows on the outside near cover may be advantageously left for the birds. Quail at times do much work on the farm by destroying de-stroying serious Insect pests and are considered one of the farmer's best allies and deserve the serious consideration on any man's farm. |