294 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



soaked corn in a vessel and enouo-h coal or gas tar to m\e 



o o o 



each kernel a thin coat, when the mass is stirred with a 

 stick. After this, plaster of Paris or wood ashes are stirred 

 in until the corn is well coated with it. When this is done, 

 however, the planter cannot be used, and the corn must be 

 planted hy hand.* For this reason many prefer to feed the 

 crows with soaked corn during the time when the newly 

 planted corn is subject to their attack. When this plan is 

 followed the corn may be planted with the planter and a 

 little soaked corn scattered daily around the borders of the 

 field. This plan is said to give good satisfaction. In this 

 way a few quarts of corn have been found sufficient to pre- 

 vent the depredations of the crow in a corn field of eight or 

 ten acres. 



If the common king birds (Ti/ramnis tyrannus) are not 

 driven away from the farm or field, because of their real or 

 supposed depredations among the bees, they will keep the 

 crow away from the vicinity of the farm buildings and fruit 

 orchard, where, if the smaller birds are encouraged to nest, 

 the services of the crow will not be usually needed during 

 the nesting season. The king birds i)rotect not only their 

 own eggs and young, but those of wild l)irds and poultry. 



Crows may be readily poisoned by soaking corn in strych- 

 nine, and after a few have been poisoned in this way the 

 others usually forsake the field. But such uses of poison 



* If corn is properly treated and afterwards dried, it can be used with a planter. 

 The following extracts from letters from correspondents show how the.y prepare 

 tarred corn to be planted with a machine : — 



" Put one-fourth to one-half bushel of corn in a half-lmrrel tub; pour on a pail- 

 ful of hot water or as much as is necessary to well cover the corn; dip a stick in 

 gas tar and stir this ))riskly in the corn ; repeat until the corn is entirely black ; pour 

 off onto burlap (bran sacks are excellent) ; spread in the sun and stir two or three 

 times during 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. The hot 

 water softens the tar so that only just enough will adhere to the corn, and the corn is 

 completely glazed by the sun. This is by far the quicker way of tarring corn, is 

 harmless and effectual, and I have for j^ears planted corn treated in this way with a 

 machine." (Ethan Bi-ooks of West Springfield, Mass.) 



" I have never had any trouble in using the planter. I usually, however, tar the 

 corn a da}^ or two before planting and spread it out to dry. My method is to put 

 a bushel of corn into a barrel ; pour hot water into it to warm it ; drain off the water ; 

 take a stout stick, dip it into the coal tar; stir up the corn and then roll the ])arrel 

 until the corn is all coated. In this way very little tar is used. Then I throw in a 

 few liandf uls of land plaster, roll it around and spread the corn out to dry. It does 

 not interfere in the least with the working of the planter." (J. N. Pardee, South 

 Billerica, Mass.) 



