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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



JtJLY 



in connection with the pretty widely known ex- 

 cellence and utility of such advice, information 

 and instruction as have heen drawn forth, in the 

 form of replies to inquiries, from the rich stores 

 of agricultural wisdom and experience of the two 

 eminent farmers above named, as well as of a few 

 others, it has occurred to me that the pages of 

 our agricultural journals might be augmented in 

 interest and practical utility by similar communi- 

 cations and answers to inquiries by the more ex- 

 perienced and judicious of our brotherhood, more 

 than by almost any other description of commu- 

 nications usually sent to these journals. Though 

 there may be very few who are now-a-days em- 

 ployed as Consulting Agriculturists — that bus- 

 iness having been brought into disrepute by cer- 

 tain self-conceited and greedy pretenders or pro- 

 fessors — still there are in many neighborhoods 

 men whose advice is sought and valued, and who 

 might benefit the public by statements of the 

 cases submitted to them, and of the advice given 

 by them. More Anon. 



FoT the New England Farmer. 

 POOR, NEARLY EXTIRPATED CROW. 



Mr. Editor : — In reading your opening arti- 

 cle in the May number of the Farmer, I noticed a 

 quotation from Audubon, in which allusion is 

 made to the "poor, nearly extirpated crow." 



Whether the birds in question are decreasing in 

 other sections or not, I cannot say ; but, if the 

 great ornithologist had ever visited this district, 

 we could have shown him crows, "sleek, corn-fed 

 crows," in such numbers as would have sent him 

 on his way rejoicing. 



On the fifteenth of last month, I sowed four 

 acres of wheat on a remote corner of the farm ; 

 and the crows commenced picking it up, while we 

 were harrowing it in. From that day until it was 

 too large for them to pull, there were from fifty to 

 one hundred of them in the field every day ; and 

 from the appearance which the crop now presents, 

 I verily believe they have appropriated one kernel 

 out of five of the seed sown. I endeavored to 

 check their depredations by putting up scare- 

 crows, but it does not seem to do any good — 

 they would actually place their sentinels on the 

 hats of my "beggar men" — there to watch while 

 the rest were at work. I also shot several and 

 hung them in the field, but I could not see as 

 that diminished their number or mended their 

 ways. Finally, such was my ingratitude for the 

 valuable service they were rendering me, that I 

 soaked several quarts of corn in strychnine, and 

 strewed it on the field, hoping to poison some of 

 the inoffensive (?) creatures. Whether it had 

 the desired eff"ect or not, I never knew, but they 

 did not continue their ravages long afterward. 



You may think this is an extraordinary case. 

 I will own that I never saw them so thick, nor so 

 persistent at this season of the year before, but 

 their nature is ever the same. I do not deny that 

 they must destroy a vast quantity of insects, but 

 do they destroy them in such quantities as to 

 compensate the farmer for the black mail which 

 they yearly levy on his grain ? With that inquiry 

 in my mind, I once examined the crops of two 

 which I had killed ; in the first I found seven 

 kernels of grain, one grub, and a small bug ; in 



the second I found the seven kernels of grain, mi- 

 nus the grub and the bug. 



Concerning those other birds you mention, I 

 take no exceptions. I love — I almost reverence 

 those beautiful, confiding creatures which come 

 with the warm breezes of spring, to build their 

 nests and rear their young on those very trees 

 which shadow our windows. The brave and 

 hardy little chickadee, the bluebird, the blackbird 

 and robin, all possess my unqualified esteem. 

 But the crow, with his dissonant tones and ghoul- 

 like propensities, always seemed like the harbin- 

 ger of discontent. 



I don't wish to judge harshly, nor unadvisedly, 

 but it does seem as if the bird in question exacts 

 a heavy reward for its services in destroying in- 

 sects — it seems as if the trouble and vexation 

 they cause, and the real damage they do in pluck- 

 ing seed from the soil, must require an unlimited 

 destruction of insects, in order to strike a bal- 

 ance in their favor. Such are my convictions. 



Bristol, VL, 1861. Franklin Harvey. 



Remarks. — There is no accounting for tastes. 

 We like the caw, caw, of the crow, especially in 

 the winter. Twenty-four hours before sowing 

 wheat, or any other grain, put one gill of clean 

 tar to it, then pour on hot water and stir thor- 

 oughly. In a few minutes each kernel will be so 

 coated with tar that after tasting one or two, a 

 crow will desire no more. This will also keep 

 squirrels and mice from depredating on the 

 grain, while the soaking will bring it up more 

 readily. After turning off the water from the 

 grain, roll it in plaster, ashes or fine loam, so that 

 it may be handled pleasantly. 



Among the Pear Trees. — On our way to the 

 city, this morning, we called at the grounds of O. 

 Morse, Esq., of Cambridge, to look, at his pear 

 trees. Including trees of all ages and sizes, we 

 found several thousands. They all appeared to 

 be healthy. As they advance, Mr. Morse heads 

 them in, giving them a compact and symmetrical 

 form, so far as the peculiar habit of each will per- 

 mit it ; when this is accomplished, which is usu- 

 ally by the time the tree is six or seven years old, 

 he leaves them to their own tendencies. Among 

 the trees was a Seckel, perhaps eight or nine 

 years old, which was well worth some travel to 

 see. Most persons are deterred from setting pear 

 trees because they have the impression that they 

 must wait a dozen or more years before they can 

 receive any fruit. If they will look at Mr. Morse's 

 trees, they will find scores among them only five 

 or six years since they were set, but now in full 

 blossom, some of them having borne fruit last 

 year. This shows what may be done under judi- 

 cious cultivation, and is encouraging. There is a 

 fair blossom on the trees, and the prospect of a 

 good growth of fruit. Mr. Morse understands 

 the culture of this favorite fruit, and by-and-by 

 will have some fine trees for sale. 



