43 



probable. By protection, we have made it possible for these 

 birds to increase. We must remove this protection, or remove 

 the surplus Corvidce. 



DOMESTIC FOWLS AS INSECT DESTROYERS. 



Common fowls, if rightly handled, may be made most useful 

 as insect destroyers in garden and field. We utilize the services 

 of young chicks in the garden by keeping the mother hens 

 confined there in small coops along the borders. Then each 

 brood of little chicks can have the run of that part of the garden 

 nearest the coop, as well as the grass near by. Young chicks, 

 kept in this way, soon learn to eat such garden pests as are 

 turned up by the plow or other garden implements. They are 

 fond of small caterpillars, maggots and cabbage plant lice, and 

 some of them will learn to eat the small larvae of the potato 

 beetles. With us they have not learned to eat the melon plant 

 lice or the squash insects. But few birds of any kind have been 

 seen to eat these pests. 



Young chicks may be safely kept in gardens until five or six 

 weeks old, when they will begin to eat the vegetables. Duck- 

 lings are useful, but more destructive than chicks. They are 

 very fond of radishes, and will devour them when very small. 

 All this is not new to many farmers, but not all are aware that 

 large chickens or even full-grown fowls sometimes may be 

 used to check insect invasions in the garden. If hens are kept 

 well supplied with green food, grain and water, they may be 

 turned into the garden occasionally, to follow plow, cultivator 

 or wheel hoe. They soon learn that in following such imple- 

 ments they will find angle worms, cutworms, wireworms and 

 other insect food, and they will seldom do much injury to the 

 garden while so engaged. If they have not been liberally sup- 

 plied with such grain, green food and water as they need, they 

 will attack both vegetables and fruits. Most farmers know 

 that fowls will clear fields infested with grasshoppers, crickets 

 and army worms. Ducks are particularly fond of army worms, 

 and a flock of five hundred ducks ought to be able to stop the 

 progress of these destructive pests on any farm. It is said 

 that young turkeys may be taught to eat the larva of the Colorado 



