542 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



Dec. 



beef; allowing this to be correct, but a small 

 proportion of the beef that is slaughtered is pro- 

 duced by corn, much of it eating no provender 

 at all; and cattle that are stall-fed are only fin- 

 ished ofi' on corn after they have attained their 

 full size on grass and ha)'. The same is also 

 true with regard to pork, it being raised chiefly 

 on the products of the dairy and refuse articles 

 of the orchard and farm, until fattening time. 



The doctor probably remembers the old Latin 

 fable, which, I think, applies well to this sub- 

 ject; for if W2 cut off or refuse to feed our do- 

 mestic animals, our corn and all other crops will 

 very soon fail. This would materially change 

 the writer's figures, and I think if the connection 

 between corn and beef could be fairly traced out, 

 that beef would be found an economical article 

 of diet. Dr. Alcott says, "that no ])crson whose 

 taste is pure and unperverted would choose flesh 

 for food." I should presume that the taste of a 

 child one year old, is natural and unchanged, and 

 I have known such to choose meat in preference 

 to anything else. The doctor, perhaps, will say 

 the child inherited a perverted taste. 



Naturalists determine the food of animals by 

 their teeth ; they say that the teeth of man indi- 

 cates a mixed diet, and we may safely follow na- 

 ture, and find meat not only agreeable but 

 healthful. 



Again, as among animals, so among men, we 

 find that the dominant races are those that eat 

 flesh ; and although the fighting principle is 

 often carried too far, yet when properly controlled 

 by reason, it is simply energy and force, which 

 are necessary to success in any occupation. K. 



Kennehunk, Oct. 8, 1858. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 KILLING ROBINS. 



Mk. Editor : — Mr. J. W. P. Jenks has given 

 the public an account of the food and habits of 

 the robin ; it is all very good in the time. But, 

 I would ask, if any bird in the same season of the 

 year does not do a similar amount of good to 

 the farmer and fruit-grower ? Is it possible to 

 do any injury, when the ground is in a frozen 

 state, except to scatter seeds, injurious ones, too, 

 which will far overbalance all the good that they 

 may possibly do. I was much pleased to see the 

 communication in the Farmer of May 1, from 

 "J. B. R.," of Concord. I perfectly coincide with 

 him in relation to the destruction of the robin. 

 Self-defence is the first law of nature, and wild 

 animals and birds, which are a positive injury to 

 man, it is his right and duty to destroy, '"Legis- 

 lative enactment notwithstanding." The law for- 

 bids manslaughter, yet self-defence permits it ; 

 man's title deeds allow him the ownership of all 

 the animals and birds, both destructive and harm- 

 less, that infest his premises, yet the law declares, 

 that he shall suffer its penalties, if he destroys 

 one of them. If it was the intention of the law 

 to put an end to the wanton destruction of all 

 birds, then the laAV is a just one ; but if it was 

 intended that a land-holder should harbor a band 

 of robbers, then it is an unjust one. 



Let us enumerate some of the injuries that we 

 are every year receiving, and some of them are 

 entailed even to the third or fourth generation 



of man. The destructive propensities of the rob- 

 in are such, that, after doing all the damage he 

 possibly can in the garden, by partaking, not 

 alone, of what he may need, but by pecking at 

 all the fair and sound fruit, commencing with the 

 straM'berry, raspberry, cherry and peach ; none 

 even of the new and choice varieties of the black- 

 berry can be gleaned in his neighborhood, as they 

 ripen so slowly, that his dividend is both princi- 

 pal and interest ; after doing all this mischief in 

 the garden, he betakes himself to the rich pas- 

 ture land, and there riots in untold injuries to 

 us. He is the enemy that sows tares when we 

 are in the land of dreams, and our Legislative 

 bodies are hedging him around with the impreg- 

 nable barriers of the law. An envmieration of his 

 labors in pasture land will not be inappropriate 

 here. First he distributes the seed of low blue- 

 berry, next huckleberry, wild blackberry, barber- 

 ry, savins, garget, &c. Red cedars, sweet ferns, 

 wild cherry, are also found. This may be ques- 

 tioned by some ; to such I would advise that they 

 would examine their droppings, which may be 

 abundantly found on walls, and they will find the 

 germ of the seed is not killed in passing them. 

 Most of the pastures in the southeast part of this 

 county are full of ledges, or very stony at least, 

 so much so, that it is a very serious undertaking 

 to plow them. Mowing only aggravates the dis- 

 ease, causing the roots to sprout at their termini, 

 which greatly aid the spreading of plants whose 

 seeds have been scattered by birds. The pastur- 

 age of to-day requires two more acres for each 

 cow than it did years ago, before legislating cost 

 so much. Then June butter was about one-half 

 as much in price as now, and pasturage one-third 

 more per acre. Pasture land in my immediate 

 neighborhood can be purchased at $25 to $30 now, 

 formerly worth from '^'.lo to $40. Fielding, twenty 

 years ago, was worth $-10 to $50, now the same 

 cannot be obtained for less than from $100 to 

 $125. Is it a wonder that milk is high and scarce, 

 when our pastures are fast filling up with useless 

 briers and bushes, and as rapidly deteriorating 

 to wild wastes ? 



The question arises, how shall we eradicate 

 them ? If the robin destroys the larva of the 

 curculio, when do they do it? It is not accom- 

 plished in the winter season during their absence, 

 and in the spring their food consists almost en- 

 tirely of the seeds of noxious weeds which they 

 scatter over the gardens, and angle worms, which 

 are nature's true subsoilers. Did the robin de- 

 stroy curculiosto ensure us a good fruit crop last 

 season, or for the past three years ? The robin 

 is almost the only bird that is plenty in this vi- 

 cinity, while all others are the prey of sportsmen, 

 which should have been included in the catalogue 

 of useful birds ; if so, some good might have 

 been done by preserving their lives. The enact- 

 ment of the Legislature has been a dead letter, 

 in my opinion, as far as the penalties are con- 

 cerned. It raised up public opinion, and public 

 opinion saved the robins, and destroyed other 

 useful birds. J. S. Needham. 



West Danvers, 1858. 



How TO DO Good. — Dr. Johnson wisely says : 

 "He who waits to do a great deal of good at once 

 will never do anything. Life is made up of small 



