Preserve the Birds [pp. 347-348]

PRESERVE THE BIRDS.
The following statement exhibits a summary view of the several classes of
domestic produce, &c., of the United States, exported during twelve years, each
ending on the 30th June:
VALUE OF EACH CLASS OF DOMESTIC EXPORTS FOR TWELVE YEARS.
r-Product of
Years. The Sea. The Forest. Agriculture. Tobacco.
1847................. $3,468,033 $5,996,073 $68,450,383 $7,242,086
1848................. 1,980,963 7,059,084 37,781,446 7,551,122
1849................. 2,547,654 5,917,994 38,858,204 5,804,207
1850................. 2,824,818 7,442,503 26,547,158 9,951,023
1851................. 3,294,691 7,847,022 24,369,210 9,219,251
1852................. 2,282,342 7,964,220 26,378,872 10,031,283
1853................. 3,279,413 7,915,259 33,463,573 11,319,319
1854................. 3,064,069 11,761,185 67,104,592 10,016,046
1855................. 3,516,894 12,603,837 42,567,476 14,712,468
1856............... 3,356,797 10,694,184 77,686,455 12,221,843
1857................. 3,739,644 14,699,711 75,722,096 20,260,772
1858................. 3,550,295 13,475,671 52,439,089 17,009,767
_- Product of-, Raw Specie
Years. Cotton. Manufactures. produce. and bullion.
1847................. 53,415,848 $10,351,364 $2,102,838 $2,620
1848................. 61,998,294 12,774,480 1,058,320 2,700,412
1849................. 66,396,967 11,249,877 935,178 956,874
1850................. 71,984,616 15,196,451 953,664 2,045,679
1851................. 112,315,317 20,136,967 1,437,893 18,069,580
1852................. 87,965,732 18,862,931 1,545,767 37.437,837
1853................ 109,456,404 22,599,930 1,835,264 23,548,535
1854................ 93,596,220 26,849,411 2,764.781 38.234,566
1855 88,143,844 28.833,299 2,373,317 53,957,418
1856................. 128,382,351 3f(,970,992 3,125,429 44,148,279
1857................ 131,575,859 30,805,126 2,103,105 60,078,352
1858............... 131,386,661 27,641,208 5,054,371 42,407,246
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
I.-PRESERVE THE BIRDS.
WE have long been of the opinion (says the Newark Datly Advertiser), that
birds are exceedingly voracious, and that young and old among them require great quantities of food. It is for men to turn this voracity to their profit
if they please. If, instead of this, they choose to gratify themselves, their sons,
or others, by shooting their best friends and great public benefactors, they can
do so. But they must make up thelr minds to suffer the consequences. An incredible number of noxious insects will be then much obliged to these vagabond
marksmen, The owners of land can have birds, or they can have destructive
insects-it depends upon them to choose which. If they like vermin on their
trees and erops, on the tops, the branches, roots, everywhere, then they will get rid
of the birds of course. But if the pretty, singing, hopping, chirpin lving, fvg, brighteyed birds are preferred to canker worms, curculios, grubs, and all manmler of
ugly and unsightly worms and bugs, why then they must get rid of or punish
the boys and men that hurt the one, and cause the other to increase, and multiply and devour. They will even take particular pains to put up boxes and
houses for wrens and sparrows, and the like, to live in, and to feed those who
stay among us in winter.
Read over now the list below of what a few families of birds are doing every
day for the public good, and then say honestly whether you don't know several
fellows in your neighborhood going about with their guns who are really not
serving the community as well as the little feathered families, celebrated by Mr.
C. M. Clay, of Kentucky, in the article below, which he communicated to the
Country Gentleman, of Albany, from which we take it. Twenty-five billions of
caterpillars and insects destroyed in one year on a single farm of thirty acres is
a pretty good year's work. In that period many well-known men, so far from
347