SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 11 October 1907, Page 2

SMALL BIRDS NUISANCE.

The increased amount of cultivation of the land lias awakened farmers to the fact that there are too many mischievous .-mall birds in this district, They have come to the conclusion that the small birds levy too big a toll upon sowings of grain and other seeds, and tlie matter has been brought under the notice of the Taranaki County Council by the Agricultural Society. The matter was discussed by the Council on Monday. The chairman stated that the clerk had looked into the matter immediately upon receipt oi the Society's communication, and found that the Council had power under sub-section I oi section 8 "Birds Nuisance Act, 1U02," to levy a rate not exceeding one-six-teenth of a penny in the pound, the produce thereof to be used exclusively on the destruction of injurious birds. He had found that the Southlaud County Council spent last year the sum of .UIU24 IDs 4d. This amount was made up of £778 Ob lOd paid for 1,121,021 i eggs and heads at twopence per dozen, £'ll 10s lOd commission on collection, ,tluß 12s Id for poisoned grain, and about £lO in advertising and the purchase of a bird-trap. In the South, continued the chairman, where there was a good deal of grain-growing the position was far more serious than here, and lie understood that united action was taken ' by all County Councils from Timaru southwards. He thought combined action would lie necessary if any good were to result from a crusade against I tlie small birds pest in Taranaki. In I

the discussion which ensued Councilloi Tate mentioned hi# own experience thai tlie loss of seed froiu birds was mon. than compensated f°r in the destruction oi grubs, but lie held no such brief for the orchard-robbing blackbird. Jt would seem tlmt some action is necessary, for many settlers complain of the depredations of the little feathered tribes, [t U nU> <|iiite clear that combined action !!<>m i'aloa, to New Plymouth would result in more rapid diminution in the mnnbers of tin; birds, but it is also true Iha t much eau be done by one local j l>o*ly, or by tlie individual farmers. The of llr Adhun, one of the «''Uni'illors, is worth quoting. ITe poi- ■ cont'd his own grain with strychnine s":ikcd iii vinegar, and scattered it next morning just after sowing the seed. V.'ifhin ten minutes he picked up five (b-ad birds, and as the result of his distribution of the poisoned grain he and his son gathered up no less than three hundred and fifty birds. Ilrid all the scjtiers along the road worked along the same lines there can be 110 doubt (hat the result, would have been beneficial to them individually and collectively. Probably some action will follow upon the proposed conference of Plainly Coum-ils throughout the province. but we think it would have been better had the Council decided to start i.-oning right away, instead of waitng nuniher mnnth or more. The sow--111 >onson is on. now, and this is the ime that birds are following the plough md the sower. P.ABY'S TJTTT/TC TROUBLE. Baby's cough, if not attended to,often ■osnlts in croup and other serious roubles. Always keep a bottle of Br. Ihcldon's New Discovery handy, and be repored. Every bottle guaranteed. Obainable everywhere,