HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1959-04-30, Page 3Fringe Benefits
The accredited ornithologists
and the bird watchers may jump
on me with both feet, but I
thought I'd talk a little about
"feeding stations" mostly be-
cause a lady I know has been
feeding her little feathered
friends all winter and has just
taken off for a month in Florida,
They said there was quite a rao-
ket around the free lunch coun-
ter for the first few days of
famine, but I'm inclined •to think
it may not be quite so bad as
some people think.
Out here in the country the
fringe benefits for the birds are
nice, but not so essential as they
may be where humans have en•
eroached on natural- conditions.
The birds that stay with us all
winter are fairly capable of
managing without social secur-
ity. Except occasionally under
real distress, I've never' "fed" a
bird.
Some years ago 1 had about
300 bushels of hard corn, on the:
ear, in nay corncrib, and a blue -
jay found a hole in the screen.
I heard his delighted screams
but didn't investigate right away,
He'd fly with an ear • to a limb •
and sit there pecking off kernels
with a great deal of loud ap-
proval. Afterward, he had about
fifteen other bluejays helping
him, and when I discovered how
popular I was they had a pile of ,
cobs under1
tletr
tree and were so
fat they could scarcely fly for.
more. I don't construe this as
"feeding," for I patched the
screen and stopped the .cheering.
Now, several people lectured
me on the hardness of heart, and
pointed out that these .bluejays
would go hungry, and be in great
want. I must say that while'a•
bluejay is a beautiful bird and''
a born conversationalist, their
their conversion factor is not so
high as that of a determined pig,
and I like to distribute my phil-
anthropies where the return
SNOOPING ON VENUS - His-
tory -making first contacts with
any celestial body beyond the
moon were' made with the ra-
dar pictured, above. The two
electronic contacts with Venus
were made in, February of
1958, and only recently re-
vealed. Signals broadcast from
Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology's Lincoln Laboratory at
Westford, Mass., made the 56 -
million -mile round trip. Months
were required to sift the sounds
from a jumble of recorded
space static, and to make cer-
tain that the' signals were, in
truth, received.
ISSUE 17 - 1959
shows up in something besides a
hideous caterwauling of unlnelo-
dious chimes, It is a known fact
that a pig can, squeal beautifully,
too, and is much better in a bean.
pot. This may be less esthetic;
but it is so. So I did an experi-
ment
We saw no bluejays after that,
and everybody said I had been
their downfall. I allowed three
bluejayless weeks to go by, and
then one night after dark I took
the patch off the' screen and left
it as it was when the bluejays
first found it, The next morning
I awake to the ear-splitting de-
light of fifteen bluejays sitting
in the tree pecking corn,
I do not believe a bird, as smart
as that needs me to support him.
Birds live on some basis of
controlled population; they come
about so many to the acre. An
open field that has supported a
few bob -o -links and sparrows,
with a couple of crows in grass-
hopper time, will swarm with
many new birds once it is plant-
ed to apple trees. The finches and
orchard orioles and warblers will
oorne in, with bluebirds and
robins, and the place teems. The
direct relationship of cover to
wildlife can be watched,
When these summer birds fly
away, the grosbeaks and chicka-
dees come outof the deep woods
to winter where summer birds
couldn't. These will ' come . to
feeding stations if you have one,
but they're around anyway Ex-
tren3e'cold doesn't seem to both-
er them but if it warms' up and
we have an ice storm they can
then be in real trouble: The ice
coats the weed seeds and bush
buds. True, they can outlast a
few days of distress and snap
back, but they will relish a hand-
out for the meantime,
Once in a while after an ice'
storm. I'veset a. pan of hen feed
on the roof of the duck hovel,
and these birds will use it for a
day or so until the ice melts, and
then they'll be back in the weeds
and bushes. I take the pan in, and
they've never eaten' very much,
Partridges mind ice most • of
all. These are birds you'd never
see at a feeding station, and they
cannot be hand -fed. They have
a natural habit of burrowing • in
the snow to ride out a storm, and
if the storm turns to ice they are
sealed under. I've seen places
where a fox, walking on the
crust, has found a partridge un-
derneath and has stomped
through to' get his breakfast.
Again, in the spring, I thane found
evidence that the foxes failed to
find him. '
Pheasants, an introduced bird
here, perch out a storm, but ice
on their food will ofter bring
-them in around the buildings, and
I've: had them go into the hen
pen and eat from the. hoppers.
But let the ice wane, and they'll
go back to the fence -rows and
puckerbrush.
About a couple of tines a win-
ter •we'll have snow buntings
show up -usually on. the crest of
a- blizzard, winging down from
the sub -arctic in flocks. They
seem to find weedseeds on land
other birds have been combing
,all winter, and are gone at once,
so ghostly you wonder if you
really saw there amid the sting-
ing snowflakes. They have no
need for feeding stations, and
wouldn't use one. .
There is great abundance in -
our open country for 'winter
birds. They.are seldom in as dire
straits as our imaginations place
them. It's pleasant to have them
in•the lilac bush by the ktichen
window, 'chewing on suet and
peanut butter, but we underesti-
mate their ability if we think
they need us. I've never talked
myself into becoming their gro-
cery store; yet I enjoy them and
watch ' then and they 'seem to
like. me withal. At least I don't
encourage them with comfort and
then take off for sunny Florida
between the soup and the entree.
-By John Gould in The Chris-
tian Science Monitor.
CROSSWORD
PUZZLE
8. Knot In wood 30. beepers
7. 1iecause ' - .31. Sodden mut-
8. Pointed a gun fins (slang)
9, Ascended
1OIAdopt igi
3:l. Religiousous
11. F'oatltke part sielgi
ters .
38, Care for 34, Collimate°
18 Among of never
DOWN 20. Attnchod by 20. Darlinr.'s.
L Unit of elec stitches 37. Dissuade
tri fab) E1 Censure" 30. Tableland
trinity
22.21ade of a 40. 'Limb
2. Girl (colloq) certain cereal 41. Period et time
3. Place rubbed 22. Lassoed 42, Red deer
eel . 24. Authorltative 4:3. Be the matter
4. Matched ' decree with '
0. 2tehrew ''25. Is overfnnd 44. Playthlttg
measure 27. icy coverings 47 rrsolenrn4ion
ACROSS
1. A lifetime
r.. 4. D. Indian
pheasant
9. kein of yarn
22. Damage
32. Divert
14, 00411
15. Serving dish
37. Plower
containers. •-
10. Prophet
20. SS(cattered
21. Obligated
20. Covered the
Inside again
28. at of swine
27. Propelled a
boat
28. Note of the
scale
20. Goddess of
mischief
80. Dried
'21. Perch
32. State Tree
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33. App llnted Lo
f54. Pleasant
06. Tolerated
87. Hollow's
88. Concludes
39. Doane
40. Renting
agreenlen+
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I'.
VERY FOND OF CHICKEN - A love feast only, so far, is the
attitude of "Bobo," the cat, for "SnoibaII." Bobo brought
Snowball into the home of the Fred Tobias family, when she
was an injured chick. One year of eggstroordinary friendship
was 'unmarred up through the time thispicture was taken.
TIILFA1Th! FRONT
John
Serious study should be given
to improving the lot of the small
farmer, Dr.: Mel Andel, econo-
mist with the Canada Depart.
ment of Agriculture, said in a
paper delivered to' the Senate.
Land Use Committee recently.
Dr. Andel said about one-
third of Canada's 575,015 farms
were uneconomic units housing
approximately one-third of the
nation's farm population of
2,746,755.
The census definition of a
small farm on which Dr. Andel
based his statement is one that
is too small to provide .the
operator and . his ' family, with
what is considered an accept-
able standardof living. Accord-
ing to the census, a holding of
one to three acres and an agri-
cultural production of $250 a
year is a farm, although it could
not beso regarded in the ordin-
ary sense.
The situation was somewhat
confused by the presence .of a
large number of these tiny
farms owned by retired couples,
part-time 'farmers or hobby
farmers whose farms were small
by choice. Many of them re-
ceived non-farm income which
was not included under farm
income and therefore served to
Snake the average income of
farmers across Canada appear
lower than it- actually was.
* * 4.
Outside of these categories
there . was still a very large
number, of farms which failed
to provide 'their owners with
an acceptable standard of liv-
ing - some 55,000 Prairie .prov-
ance farms of less than 130
acres and some 187,000 farms
elsewhere of less than 70 acres
of improved land.
The reasons were often lack
of capital to expand in area or
to buy new equipment, in-
ability to transfer to more suit-
able land or to a more profit-
able occupation, or simply fail-
ure to apply proper farm tech-
niques.
4, * 4:
The fact -that there would al-
ways be small farms, or at least
relatively small farms should
not deter an investigation to
help improve the lot of this
large proportion of Canadian
nationals. Possibly this could be
done by greater application and
use of the services and facilities
already provided by federal and
provincial governments and uni•
versities scientific informa-
tion, credit and extension train.
mg.
* * *
Dr. Andel suggested studies
in specific areas: an appraisal
of the units and the potential
'of' the area; and attempt to
help farmers make the adjust-
ments necessary; and to help
'launch younger members of the
family into vocational training,
Rehabilitation or re - location
night be part of the program.
Dr. Andel referred to the
Rural Development Program in
the United States which is, at-
tempting to aid small and low-
income farmers. The program
12 provided by the federal gov-
ernment and managed by state,
county and .focal committees
comprising people from farm,
school and church groups, ser
vice clubs, business and Indus-
trial personnel. The committee
helps families who want to stay
in farming to acquire the tools,
land and information that they
need; increases the range of
off -land opportunities and sees
that they arm themselves with
good training and 'good health.,
• The program recognizes that.
the community can provide a
better basis for aiding the low-
income farmer than the agri-
cultural sector alone can do. ,
* * 4,
In the field of animal and
poultry feeds, use of enzymes
looms as a major step for-
ward.
Enzymes accelerate the trans•
formation of material fn plant„
and animals.
It has been proved that en•
zymes improve the Utilization
of come secondary grains, and
research work is continuing.
An early discovery was that
a simple water treatment of
barley . improved its unitization
by chicks and that the addition
of a fungal enzyme preparation
brought about a similar im-
provement.
* * *
R. E. Smith, Canada Depart-
ment of Agriculture nutrition-
ist, reports that tests at the
Kappa n, N.S. Experimental
Farm showed water soaking of
rye significantly improved its
feeding value. Various enzyme
supplements were also fed with
beneficial result s. Enzymes
most favourable were of the
amylase group.
* *
A recent disclosure is that a
mixture of enzymes, rather
than any specific enzyme, brings
about t h e greatest response.
The specific fraction or frac*
tions of the grains being alter-
ed by these enzymes, to cause
the unproved utilization by
poultry, is unknown. Consider-
ably more basic research is
needed to determine the me-
chanisms of enzyme action.
4,- * *
"Nevertheless, use of vari-
ous enzyme preparations in
poultry feeds i$ becoming a
reality and in the n'ot too dis-
tant future our ever-growing
list of feed ingredients will un-
doubtedly include the name of
some enzyme supplement," com-
ments Mr. Smith,
Lions Getting
Used To Tourists
Ever since British settlers and
visiting aristocrats began pot-
ting away at elephants in the
pristine wilds of East Africa at
the turn of the century, the
world's biggest unwalled zoo
has been an almost exclusive
preserve for the rich, the idle
and the professional romantics,
ranging from the sturdier of the
Riviera set to Ernest Hemming -
way, But the airplane has made
Africa accessible as never be-
fore, and since World War Il
a veritable army of hunters has
swarmed into Africa's safari
lands.
Nine out of ten of the new
comers are Americans Madi-
son Avenue admen, Texas oil
tycoons, Air Force, Army and
Navy brass, and such public
personalities as Arthur Godfrey
and William Holden. Increas-
ingly, safari firms 'are catering
to a more middle-class trade, in
recent years have found doc-
ors, lawyers, dentists and busi•
ess executives among their
steady clients.
Last year safari activity ac-
counted for more than half of
East Africa's $17 million tourist
revenue, and is still growing.
There a r e seven safari firms
operating out of Nairobi this
year (vs. one in 1930). Once
confined to a 100 -mile radius of
civilized Nairobi (pop. 230,000),
the quest for big game has.
spread from northern Uganda
to southern Tanganyika. The
white hunters who lead safaris
are making more money than
e'"Ver - $7,000 a year is aver-
age and $14,000 is not uncom-
mon for the popular hunters.
Luxury is at an all-time high
too. Today no high-class safari
leaves Nairobi without com-
forts that range from a special
scout car for the client and his
white hunter to five -ton trucks
that haul the amenities of gra-
cious living - tents, radios, re-
frigerators, portable showers
and toilets.
But even clerks and secre-
taries can afford the camera
safari, ' which provides them
with a peaceful look at wildlife
in the unfettered flesh and fas-
cinating movie footage to amaze
the folks back home, Nairobi's
Overland Motor Co. offers a
15 -day tour of game areas by
car for a comparatively modest
$700, including round-trip :Fare
from Europe. Overland, which
expected about 50 tourists at
most during the first three
months of 1959, now expects the
total to top 800 before the sea-
son is over. The animals in East
Africa's national parks, secure
in the protection afforded them
by the government, are becom.
ing blase about camera buffs.
UNQAYSC11OIy
LESON
By Rev it R. Warren. 15.A., 13,11.
The Rise of David
1 Samuel 18:5-10
'Memory Selection: Tire Lord
seeth not as man seeth; for man
loolieth on the outward appear-
ance, but the Lord looketh on
the heart: 1 Samuel 16:7.
When the Lord rejected Saul
from being king, he sent Samuel
to Jesse the Bethlehemite, say-
ing, "I have provided me a king
among his sons," One by one the
seven stalwart sons were brought
before Samuel but no one of
these was the chosen of God
Then Jesse sent far David his
youngest son who was tending
the sheep. When this ruddy youth
came before Samuel, the Lord
said, "Arise, anoint him: for this
is he." And the Spirit of the Lord
came upon David from that day
forward, •
Because David was a skilful
player on the harp he was called
to the court to play before the
king. This helped to refresh the
king who was frequently op
pressed by an evil spirit. Saul
loved this shepherd boy from
Bethlehem. Then came David's
t victory
grea o ver Goliath. As
he approached the giant armed
with a sling and five smooth
stones he said to him, "Thou
comest to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a shield:
but I come to thee in the name
of th"e Lord of hosts, the God of
the armies of Israel, whom thou
hast defied, . This assembly
shall know that the Lord saveth
not'evith sword and spear: for the
battle is the Lord's, and he will
give you into our hands," David's
popularity resulting from this
notable victory was too much
for Saul. He beeame jealous and
angry and sought to slay David.
Meanwhile, Jonathan, Saul's son.
became a great friend, of David's.
"The soul of Jonathan was knit
with the soul of David, and Jon-
athan loved him as his own soul"
Finally David had to flee far his
life.
David was honourable even in
exile. On two occasions 'his fol-
lowers had opportunity to slay
King Saul but David restrained
them. The only weapon he used
against Saul was flight. During
this period David wrote many
songs which we sing today.
Popularity and the desire for
it is the downfall of many peo-
ple. In Billy Graham's New York
campaign a man who had been
a missionary for 25 years was
among the seekers. He said his
ministry had become unfruitful
because he had begun to seek
the praise of men for his work •
rather than the blessing of God.
He confessed his sin and laid it
at the foot of the cross -the only
place where sin can be forgiven •
and problems solved.
Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking
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PRETTY GIRL, PRETTY FLOWERS - It's been asserted that Canada's Capital City has a million
pretty civil service girls, but it just isn't true• But Ottawa does have, a million of the country's
most beautiful springtime flowers when the tulips bloom during the Canadian Tulip Festival
from May 1 5th to 3Oth, This pretty civil servo nt poses in front of one of Ottawa's smaller
tulip beds.
Photo by Malek