84 



THE GAME BREEDER 



quent victims of their marauding habits. 

 In the olden days, the corn-planting 

 farmer said: 



"One for the black-bird 

 Two for the crow. 

 One for the cut-worm, 

 Two for to grow." 

 So, he would put five grains of corn in 

 every hill. Most commonly, the crow 

 is hated by the farmer because it pulls 

 up the young corn to get the soft seed 

 kernels at the root, and everywhere is to 

 be seen the scarecrow in the newly- 

 planted corn fields. Later on the dam- 

 age they do to the corn crop can hardly 

 be estimated, because they peck the end 

 of the young ears, allowing the water to 

 enter the shuck and rot the corn. 



They are destructive to the melons, 

 pecking holes in them and causing them 

 to rot on the vines. It is no uncommon 

 sight to see small cotton cords encircling 

 and across the melon fields of the South 

 — 'Stretched to keep away the crows, be- 

 cause the crows fear a trap where they 

 see the white strings. They pull young 

 rabbits from their nest, destroy young 

 birds and chickens and even sometimes 

 young pigs. They are very destructive 

 to the pecan groves, and men are em- 

 ployed on some of the big pecan planta- 

 tions to keep the crows away. 



All in all, the crow is the farmer's 

 principal enemy, and the plan of the Du 

 Pont Company to hold a National Crow 

 Shoot during 1919 will undoubtedly 

 prove a big factor in the conservation of 

 grain and the protection of game and 

 insectivorous birds. It should have the 

 hearty support and co-operation of every 

 farmer in the country. — Du Pont Maga- 

 zine. 



A Game Law Summary. 



The U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 has issued its annual summary of Fed- 

 eral, State and Provincial Game Laws. 

 This bulletin of 69 pages contains brief 

 outlines of many of the laws regulating 

 the taking and transporting of game. It 

 is known as Bulletin 1010 and can be 

 secured by writing to the Division of 

 Publications, U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture, Washington, D. C. 



BEAVER REQUIRE ATTENTION 

 IN MINNESOTA. 



Increase Tempts Poachers — Will Be 

 Removed Where Causing Damage. 



Beaver have multiplied and extended 

 their operations so rapidly and exten- 

 sively in Minnesota the past few years 

 and their pelts are now so valuable that 

 they have become a strong temptation to 

 persons of easy game law morality. From 

 practical extinction these proverbially 

 industrious animals have increased to 

 comparative abundance in many localities 

 and their engineering proclivities have 

 given rise to some complaints from farm- 

 ers of flooded meadows and other 

 annoyances, although investigation often 

 discloses that complaint is apparently in- 

 spired more by a desire to get the beaver 

 than by any actual damage to property. 



In co-operation with the Federal in- 

 spector, Mr. B. J. Shaver, of Ashland, 

 Wis., the game and fish commissioner 

 has been carrying on an investigation the 

 past few months of ■ illegal traffic in 

 beaver skins which has unearthed consid- 

 erable evidence of beaver poaching and 

 a number of pr secutions and convic- 

 tions have resulted. It is comparatively 

 easy to kill beaver without detection, but 

 not so easy to dispose of the pelts with- 

 out discovery, as some have found to 

 their sorrow. The parcels post has been 

 the favorite method of shipment, but this 

 is in violation of the postal regulations 

 as well as of Federal and State law. 



Legislation Suggested. 



The game commissioner is of the 

 opinion that some legislative enactment 

 should be made soon to provide a law- 

 ful way to take and use a certain pro- 

 portion of the beaver annually. This can 

 now be safely done, provided it is care- 

 fully safeguarded to prevent abuse. 

 Employment of trappers by the State so 

 as to control the time and place of trap- 

 ping and the number of animals taken 

 seems a reasonable solution. 



The beaver has become an important 

 economic asset which should be used 

 with care and under such restrictions 

 and regulations as will guarantee per- 



