1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



371 



cannot lay still on the ground alone, — and then see 

 how nicely they will look when made a part of the 

 "harmonious whole." Perhaps, 



"On such a eeat immortal Alfred pat, 



And swayed tbd sceptre of his infant realms." 



But whether he did or did not, such chairs are 

 sold in Boston, and adorn the gardens and lawns 

 of its suburban estates. And why may not far- 

 mers have them ? Oiling will preserve the bark 

 and the wood, but they should not be varnished. 



We claim no originality in the above illustra- 

 tions. They are copied from the Rural New 

 Former, and answer our purpose very well. We be- 

 lieve that boys sometimes spend a leisure hour as 

 unprofitably as they would in building either or 

 both of the above comfortable seats, where their 

 parents, their sisters or themselves may rest from 

 their labors. 



THE CROW AND JAY CONDEMNED. 



Of late I have seen several pieces in your paper 

 in favor of protecting the crows. Having been en- 

 gaged for twenty-five years in collecting birds and 

 eggs for literary and scientific institutions in Mas- 

 sachusetts and other New England States, I have 

 necessarily made their habits a sutyect of much 

 study. My conclusions in respect to the utility of 

 the crow do not correspond with those expressed 

 in the Farmer. I know that they destroy some 

 insects in the spring, but mostly water insects that 

 do no damage, but many of which prey on other 

 species that are injurious. 



But I do also know that crows live almost en- 

 tirely on the eggs and the young of smaller birds, 

 froni the middle of May to the first of August, and 

 that they feed their young on the same, and 

 scarcely anything else. I have no doubt that a 

 nest of four young crows — there are sometimes five 

 — will eat two quarts of young birds or eggs in one 

 day. That they destroy two-thirds of all the eggs 

 and young of small birds I know to be a fact, in 

 some sections. Of some species, I have known 

 them to destroy four nests out ot five, and that be- 

 fore the young were a week old. 



Now I think that one small bird will destroy 

 more noxious insects in one season than fifty crows. 

 And this is not all. They often spoil large fields 

 of corn when too late in the season to replant. If 

 every crow, jay, hawk and owl could be fed to in- 

 sects, I think it would be a blessing to the farmer 

 and to the small birds, and I hope no law will be 

 passed to protect crows or jays, for I see them 

 daily hunting for the nests of small birds. 



Hudson, Mass., June, 1869. S. Jellison. 



CULTIVATION OF THE INTELLECT. 



The importance of manual labor as a means of 

 rest and refreshment to the wearied brain, has 

 often been urged upon the attention of professional 

 people. 



By the same rule we would recommend a daily 

 interval of study to the "working classes," so 

 called. IHiere is, to be sure, in farm life, both 

 within doors and without, an abundant call for 

 brain work; yet so identified is it with the hand 

 work, as to possess but little of the recuperative 

 power of studies which have no direct reference or 

 relation to the daily toil. If one who is "liied 

 almost to death," will sit down to the solution of 

 a mathematical problem which is just difficult 

 enough to exercise without fatiguing the brain, he 

 will find himself rested much sooner than if his 

 mind were unoccupied. And so of other branches 



of science,— a little time given to them each day 

 would be a profitable investment. 



But besides the physical benefit to be derived 

 from a regular course of studv, there is the value 

 of the knowledge itself, which "is certainly worth 

 as much in the meridian as in the morning of life. 

 How many there are, who spend the bright hours 

 of youth in acquiring knnwkdge, only to forget it 

 when it is most needed. It is sad enough that any 

 should be obliged, from want of time, to forego 

 their studies as soon as they leave the schoolroom ; 

 yet there are thousands who do so needlessly. I 

 would not be understood as confounding mere 

 book-learning with education; but if books can 

 be of any service to us, let us thankfully accept 

 their aid in seeking the treasures of wisdom, and in 

 passing from "glory to glory,*' even as He who gave 

 us our mental powei-s, so evidently intended. 



Marlboro', Mass., June, 1869. Mattie. 



PLUGGING the HOLES OF APPLE TREE BORERS. 



The letter from Mr. Hersey of Hingham, Mass., 

 in the Farmer of May 22, giving a minute des- 

 cription of the apple tree borer, is as interesting as 

 It is instructive. As is suggested in the editorial 

 note to that communication, I think Mr. Hersey 

 misapprehends the recommendation of plugging 

 up the holes of the borers to destroy them. 



Oneof my neighbors — Mr. Luther Stanley — while 

 making an e.xamination this spring of one of his 

 trees, fo'Tud several holes with signs of borers at 

 work. He soon found it too much of a job to fol- 

 low them with wire or chisel, so he dug around the 

 roots, scraped off the rough bark from roots and 

 trunk and found all the holes. Then he took com- 

 mon putty and plugged them all up perfectly tight. 

 On the third day after doing this he vi>ited the 

 tree, and on removing the putty found, to his sur- 

 prise, four borers dead, all of which came out with 

 the plugging. By this process he destroyed the 

 borers without cutting the roots or trunk of the 

 tree, which is as injurious as the work of the 

 borer, as I have often found it necessary to cut 

 quite deep in order to reach the rascals. From the 

 irregularity of the direction of their course, I have 

 also found much difficulty in fishing them out 

 with a barbed wire. Zen. 



Springvale, Me., June 5, 1869. 



WRITING. — MR. baker's BOOK ON FRUIT CULTURE. 



I have been a reader of the New England 

 Farmer for the last three or four years, and I feel 

 bound to say I find it both interesting and instruc- 

 tive. I have taken great interest in the "Extracts 

 and Replies," and have sometimes felt as though 

 I should like to a»k or answer some questions, 

 critici>e some articles, make some suggestion, or 

 something of the kind; but when I came to reflect 

 upon the subject, I at once came to the conclusion 

 that I never could write anything readable orsufli- 

 ciently correct to occupy the columns of a news- 

 paper, so I always gave up the idea of committing 

 my thoughts to paper. But 1 find in your issue of 

 January 9, some editorial "remarks," very encour- 

 aging to me, as they must be to all who have the 

 same delicacy with regard to writing that I have. 

 You say "plant the facts firmly on paper, and 

 leave the office editor and the printers to fix the 

 spelling and syntax." You will please accept the 

 foregoing apology, both as my reasons for not 

 attempting to write before and for troubling you 

 wi'h the present communication. 



In the Farmer of December 12, a "subscriber" 

 wants tD know "all about fruit culture." In the 

 summer of 1866, I had the same anxiety to know 

 all about fruit culture. About the same time I 

 observed in the columns of the Farmer, under 

 the notices of new books, a work entitled "Practi- 



