544 Protection of Seed against Crows. [dec, 



scale were undertaken by the Department of Agriculture in the 

 use of durum wheat-flour for bread. 



The results of the comparison, both by chemical and baking 

 tests, with good hard spring and winter wheat, showed that there 

 is often very little difference in quality between the flours, and 

 that on an average the durum wheat-flour makes as good bread 

 as the other flours. The strongest objection is to its colour, 

 which is a little more yellow or creamy than flour from the best 

 hard spring wheat, but it is stated that when mixed by modern 

 processes it will make bread entirely satisfactory in colour. It 

 would seem, therefore, that in addition to its employment for 

 macaroni, the flour can be used for bread-making or for blending 

 with other kinds of bread-flour, and an extension in its cultiva- 

 tion may be looked for, more particularly in those semi-arid 

 regions of the United States to which its drought-resisting 

 qualities make it specially suitable. 



The employment of coal tar for the protection of seed against, 

 the depredations of crows is practised in some parts of Great 

 Britain and the Continent. In some investi. 



Seecf^ *ahist £ ations CSirrie d out at tne Neuburg Agri- 

 Crows, cultural School, to which reference has been 

 made in this Journal* good results were 

 obtained by the treatment of seed wheat with a solution of 2\ oz. 

 coal tar, 2\ oz. petroleum, mixed with one quart of water, per 

 bushel of seed. 



A somewhat similar mode of treatment is described f by 

 M. Schribaux, Professor at the Institut National Agronomique,. 

 as being practised on a large farm in the Department of Oise. 

 The wheat thus treated showed no trace of destruction by crows, 

 although serious damage had been caused to neighbouring fields,, 

 notwithstanding the fact that the latter had been watched unin- 

 terruptedly. Similar successful results had been obtained ith 

 preceding years. 



The solution was made as follows : — ill pints of coal tar, 5I 

 pints of petroleum, 1^ pints of carbolic acid, to 5 qrs. (of 480 lb.), 

 of seed. 



* Journal, Vol. IV., p. 246, Sept., 1897. f J out nal a' 'A^ric. Prat 'iau e, 1899. 



