PREVENTING THE DEPREDATIONS OF BIRDS. 297 



Ordinarily, a field covered with a network of twine strung 

 on poles will not be molested. The twine is usually strung 

 along a few feet from the ground, at intervals of two or three 

 rods. 



A dead crow thrown down upon the ground or suspended 

 in the air is also almost certain to deter them from venturing 

 near. 



Poultry placed in boxes heavily slatted, so that the presence 

 of something alive will be manifested without exposing the 

 real nature of the contents, make very good scarecrows. Two 

 or three boxes to the acre, one fowl in each, are sufficient. 



Another method, one that appeals to taste instead of sight, 

 is to flavor the seed before planting with coal-tar or oil-of-tar, 

 which crows dislike. The corn is first soaked in water, and 

 then enough tar or tar-oil is stirred in to give each kernel a 

 thin coating. Plaster is then added to render the corn more 

 easily handled. Objections to this method are : It does not 

 admit the use of a planter and it retards germination. Though 

 usually effectual, this method is said not to be infallible. 



Fields that are isolated, so there is no possibility of their 

 being visited by domestic animals, may be protected to a cer- 

 tainty by scattering broadcast a little grain that has been 

 soaked in water in which some strychnine has been dissolved. 

 Poisoned grain should be carefully dried before being put out, 

 in order to make it appear natural to the critical invaders. 

 One or two killed, or even made sick, will settle the crow 

 question for that year. 



Not a few farmers are accustomed to scatter small quanti- 

 ties of grain — not poisoned — in their fields two or three times 

 a week during the period when crows are troublesome. 

 They say the crows thus obtain all the grain they want with- 

 out pulling up any. They also claim that the crows pay well 

 for the grain by destroying cutworms and other injurious 

 larvae that infest the ground. With highly moral crows this 

 plan is more philosophical than any we know. But some 



