USEFUL BIRDS. 19 
Crows can be poisoned by dissolving ten cents worth of sulphate 
of strychnine in enough hot water to soak up two quarts of corn. 
This should be scattered about the field where crows are working 
late in the evening that they may find it there in the early morning. 
‘If scarecrows are used they should be changed occasionally. 
Forbush in “Useful Birds and Their Protection,” advises the use of 
a barrel hung on a leaning pole. 
One of the safest and best ways of tarring corn and yet not 
affecting its use in a planter is one originating in Massachusetts. 
“Put one-fourth to one-half bushel of corn in a half-barrel tub; pour 
in a pailful of hot water, or as much as is necessary to well cover 
the corn; dip a stick in gas tar and stir this briskly in the corn; 
repeat until the corn is entirely black; pour off on to burlap (bran 
sacks are good) ; spread in the sun and stir two or.three times dur- 
ing the day. If this work is done in the morning and the day is 
sunny, the corn will be ready for the planter the next day without 
any other care.” A machine will easily handle corn treated in this 
way. Another way is as follows: “Put corn in fertilized sack, 
pour (thinned) tar on corn, tie the sack; let the boys tumble the 
sack about; add ashes or land plaster; tie sack, tumble some more 
and it is ready for the planter.” The gas tar can be and should 
be diluted with linseed oil. 
Deep planting, three or four inches, will, in some heavy soils, 
discourage the crow. 
If one is a good enough shot with a rifle, and can pick off a crow 
or two at long range, the birds keep away from a field so protected. 
Even if not hit they seem to realize that it is dangerous ground. 
Any birds killed should be hung up in the field. 
