The Damage to Agriculture by Vermin and Birds1

THAT farm vermin and certain wild birds annually commit an extraordinary amount of damage to agriculture and agricultural crops has long been recognised, and the need for more careful and systematic study of the subject has been frequently dwelt upon in these pages. The personal opinion held by “landowners, sportsmen, farmers, rat-catchers, and naturalists,” as well us by a large class of bird-lovers, is really of very little moment. Anyone who has had to sift the evidence obtained from such sources knows how thoroughly untrustworthy and misleading it usually is. It is now universally recognised that a very definite and careful procedure is necessary, carried out by experienced and well-trained workers, if one wishes to arrive at a trustworthy and just conclusion respecting the economic status of any wild animal.