292 transactions of the american institute. 



The Food of Crows in Winter. 



He says that John D. Hicks, Westbury, L. I., lately shot a crow and 

 examined its craw, and found nine-tenths of its contents were grasshoppers, 

 thus showing that the much-despised crow is truly a friend to the farmer, 

 destroying the grasshopper, while in a dormant state ; so we can afford to 

 feed him when snow covers the ground. 



This elicited considerable talk, all friendly to the crow, as a valuable aid 

 to the farmer. 



Dr. Trimble said that he had proved that crows will not pull up corn, if 

 the owner will soak corn and sow it about the field. I examined the con- 

 tents of the crows' stomachs, and found it to contain grasshoppers an(i 

 beetles. These are found near the roots of the grass. 



Mr, Thos. Cavenach. — It is not often we see crows on the fields near 

 where I live ; but during the winter this year I have seen larger quantities 

 on the fields picking something from the grass. 



Mr. Carpenter said it was hardly necessary to soak it. You may sow it 

 dry. 



Hornless Spanish Bucks. 



Mr. T. H. Pettis, Tappan, Harrison county, Ohio, answers the inquiry 

 upon this subject, that he has a full-booded iSpanish buck without horns, 

 which he considers a valuable improvement. 



Pickles. 



Mr. H. A. Sheldon, Middlebury, Vt., sa^'s, after trying numerous plans, 

 he has adopted the following as the best way to pickle cucumbers : " Put 

 tliem in very strong brine forty-eight hours, and from that dii'ect into cider 

 vinegar, adding spice and pepper to suit. They are good in three weeks 

 and keep two years, sound and crisp." 



A Miscellaneous Letter. 



Mr. .S. S. Gregory writes the following letter from Berea, Ohio. It con- 

 tains some valuable information. He says : 



"Being of the opinion that much valuable information to the agricultu- 

 ral community has been spread by the American Institute Farmers' Club, 

 and believing that a fair share of that information has been contained in 

 'letters from the people,' it helps to induce me to make one efibrt to conr 

 tribute a mite to swell the amount of such knowledge. If farmers in gen- 

 eral, who have valuable facts in their possession, would give, briefly and 

 explicitly, such facts to the public, it would, in my estimation, greatly con- 

 duce to the advancement of agricultural science. And in order to be per- 

 fectly understood as to what is meant by these remarks, I will give as good 

 a sample as I am able to give of what is intended : 



SALT AS A MANURE. 



" Salt, there is no reason to doubt, is valuable as a manure ; but to show 

 that it may easily be used in improper quantities, I will state a fact that 

 came under my observation. From a cause, not necessary to mention, 

 some brine got down among the roots of a cherry tree ; the consequeuQC 



