APPENDIX. 369 



Plymouth, Jfe. Has been observed to destroy whole fields of from one to three acres. 



Rochdale, Mass. Crows this year (1885) pulled one-third or more of the corn in my field in spite 

 of cotton lines stretched quite thickly over the fields. 



Nebraska, Intl. Have known the injury to amount to one-third of the crop. 



Burlington, /mm. Have known one-third of a five acre field to require replanting. 



Sand Hill, Mich. Often destroys over half the crop when planted near a patch of woods. 

 Fields sometimes are nearly destroyed. 



Bolton, Mo. One-third of a field of three acres was taken. 



Afadison, Nebr. The damage along the woodlands of the Elkhorn is ten per cent, of the planting. 



Caldwell, N. J. Damage often from one-tenth to one-third of the field. 



Alfred Centre, N. Y. Sometimes they make a second planting necessary ; in one'case a field of 

 three acres was almost entirely pulled up. 



Ithaca, N. Y. In spite of all our efforts they almost destroyed the crop in a large part of one 

 field. 



Locust Grove, N~. F. In 1884 a large field was ruined by crows in spite of all precautions. It 

 was "strung" at more frequent intervals than usual, a number of dead crows were displayed at 

 various points, and it was replanted twice, but all to no avail, for almost the entire field was lost. 



Penza, Ohio. Once saw a field on the 4th of July which had been destroyed four times by crows, 

 and they were still working on it. 



Gap. Pa. Think they sometimes destroy five per cent, of the crop. 



Frogmore, S. C. The damage sometimes amounts to over 50 per cent., but this is only in fields 

 near woodland. 



Brandon, Ft. One-half to three-fourths of an acre was pulled from a three-acre field. 



West Pawlet, VL In 1883 and 1884 I knew the crows to pull the corn so completely in fields of 

 ten or twelve acres that all the ground had to be planted over. 



Omro, Wis. One piece of four acres was about two-thirds destroyed. 



The ten following samples may be taken as showing more nearly than the pre- 

 ceding the average character of the reports noting damage to young corn : 



Smelley, Ala. Much damage some years, others none at all. 



Brookfield Centre, Conn. A small piece in a secluded spot was almost entirely destroyed. 



Vermillion, Dak.In some fields on the Missouri bottoms crows often have destroyed two or 

 three successive seedmgs of corn, but only in fields near timber. 



Marietta, Ga. The damage is sometimes excessive, depending largely on location of field. 



Louisville, Ky.The damage has been greatly exaggerated. Formerly it was sometimes great, 

 but it is many years since crows have done any harm in my neighborhood by pulling up corn. 

 They find other food in abundance and have forgotten their old habits. 



Sow'Ji Frankfort, Mich. Injurious only in exceptional cases, and to a limited extent. 



Minneapolis, Minn. The extent of the injury is measured only by the opportunity. 



Watkins, N. F. Farmers complain of their pulling corn in the spring as soon as it appears 

 above ground ; and corn is injured in this way sometimes so that it harvests one-eighth to one- 

 fourth less than if it had not been touched. But not one farmer in twenty is injured as much as 

 stated. 



Mount Vernon, Ohio. Have known them to be quite troublesome in pulling corn when it is 

 two or three inches high, * * * but their attacks appear to be only periodical, perhaps many 

 years apart. 



Berwick, Pa. The damage is sufficient, sometimes, to compel the farmer to replant, yet the 

 amount of injury done is not often of much account. There are exceptional cases when fields 

 planted near their resorts have suffered considerably. 



A careful examination of all the available evidence bearing on this question brings 

 out one or two points which are doubtless familiar to many farmers, but may be new 

 to some. Other things being equal, the greatest damage is done where crows are 

 most abundant ; and fields nearest their nests are much more likely to be plundered 

 than those at a distance from woods. Neverthless, in the latter case, if the fields are 

 also at a distance from the farm-house and are not specially protected, they may suf- 

 formore than other fields which, although near the woods, are so situated as to be 

 < i :isily watched from the house. It is of the utmost importence, moreover, that the 

 crows be prevented from beginnintj to take corn from a field ; for after visiting it 

 once they are far more likely to come again, and there is abundant evidence that 

 after a crow has once formed the habit of corn-pulling it is almost impossible to pre- 

 vent his gratifying his taste as long as he lives. This question will be fully treated 

 under jibe head of insect food of the crow, and it need only be remarked here that, 

 while crows undoubtedly eat many cut-worms and other insects, there is very little 

 24 BlBDS. 



