No. 4.] BIRDS ON THE FARM. 161 



Mr. H. A. Turner (of Norwell). I think crows do con- 

 siderable damage besides pulling up corn. Tliey carry off 

 lots of chickens. They come down and pick off a good 

 many more chickens than the hawks do, and it seems to 

 me that they are a i)est. They are very numerous down 

 our way. 



The Chair. Your duty is plain. 



Mr. A. M. Lyman (of Montague). I have found coal 

 tar is a good remedy to use. For five cents you can buy 

 enough coal tar for five acres of land. 



The Chair. Did I understand the lecturer to condemn 

 the blue jay? 



Mr. FoRBUSH. I should put the blue jay about where I 

 put the crow. There are many creatures which in ordinary 

 circumstances are not pests, who will become pests if they 

 increase too fast ; it is so with the crow and the blue jay. 



The Chair. How about the crow blackbirds? 



Mr. Forbush. The crow blackbird is not so destructive 

 to young birds and eggs, as are the jay and crow. It has 

 some bad habits, but I think also good ones, and I should 

 rather be in favor of leaving it where it is. I think our 

 laws are very good ; they allow a man to shoot the crow 

 blackbird if he wants to, but if he wants to protect them 

 he may. 



SECOND DAY. 



The meeting was called to order at 10.30 o'clock by 

 First Vice-President Sessions, who said : The lecture of 

 the morning will be hy Mr. George H. Ellis, upon 

 " The need and economic value of improvement in dairy 

 stock." 



Mr. Ellis has had a very large experience, as large as any 

 man in the State of Massachusetts, noAV living, in regard 

 to this matter, and his opinions carry great weight. 



