Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 December 1911 — Discovering the Value of Birds. [ARTICLE]

Discovering the Value of Birds.

In their eagerness to combat the phylloxera and other microscopic enemies, the wine growers of Germany have forgotten that there are also larger insect peseta which inflict great damage Anxious to turn every available square foot of land into vineyards, and with the notion that even the smallest bush deprived the vines of some sunshine, they have for years rooted out every hedge, shrub and tree that was near a vineyard, thus destroying the nesting places of their best allies, the insectivorous birds The folly of this procedure was perceived some years ago by Baron von Berlepsch, who successfully attacked the insect plague on his large domains by giving the birds abundant opportunity to nest. Others are now following his example. At the invitation of the authorities he recently made an inspection of the wine-grow-ing district of Germany, giving advice as to the best msthods of attracting the variety of birds'needed. In-some parts of Germany thousands of bushes are being planted along railway embankments to give birds safe nesting places