Proceedings of the Farmer^ Club. 335 



This is a great improvement, taking up less room and requiring less 

 material. Stock cannot overturn it, and even the winds seldom 

 disturb it. We saw a few live hedges that had been planted many 

 years, but these, unless constantly pruned, were found to spread 

 out far on both sides, and, besides robbing the soil, became harbors 

 for briers, elders and weeds. They here have local laws against 

 the running at large of cattle or other stock; consequently all 

 fencing is for the farmer's own convenience, and not required for 

 protection from others. The next step will probably be the abol- 

 ishinor of fences altocrether. 



Climate. — Here we found the holly, magnolia and persimmon, as 

 in Virginia and the Carolinas, but most other trees and shrubs were 

 like our own. 



Of Birds, the buzzard and osprey were common, reminding us 

 still more of the South. The buzzard, being harmless in all 

 respects, and known as a scavenger, is let alone, and becomes almost 

 domesticated. The remnant of an old tree was pointed out that 

 had been the abode of broods of young ospreys for forty years. 

 But the blackbirds here were a still greater curiosity. Millions 

 collect annually about the marshes of the lower Delaware. A reed, 

 called wild oats, grows in great abundance on the marshes that have 

 not been diked. This produces a seed, ripening in September, that 

 is a favorite food of many birds. It would seem that all the black 

 birds of North America have a knowledge of this food, as the can- 

 vas-back duck has of the wild celery of the Chesapeake. These 

 birds are often very troublesome in the corn fields while waiting 

 for the ripening of this wild oats. They then attack the corn in 

 its milky state, generally taking only a small part of the end of 

 the ear, but so stripping ofi" the husk as to let in the rain, and the 

 entire ear is often destroyed. The fiirmers are frequently com- 

 pelled to make a war on these marauders. But a word can be said 

 on the other side of the blackbird question. These birds are sup- 

 posed by many to pull up the sprouting corn in the spring to get 

 the grain. One of our Salem friends told us that he had watched 

 these birds flying constantly between the trees, where they had 

 their nests in his corn field. He shot some, with the suspicion that 

 they were at mischief; their stomachs contained cut-worms, and 

 ilothing but cut-worms. Those who have investigated in this way 

 kill no more small birds. 



The reed bird or bob-o'-link of the North, concentrates here also 

 in vast nunibers, feeding to wonderful fatness upon the wild oats, 



