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THE ENGLISH SPARROW AND THE HORTICULTURIST. 



unless milk was set in very shallow pans, the full amount 

 of cream would not rise, and much loss would follow. 

 Now we are informed, and probably correctly, that deep 

 cans are just as good or better, and far more convenient. 

 So it has been with many other things on the farm or in 

 the garden (with deep plowing, for instance) till we are 

 cautious about accepting new theories or conclusions, 

 even those of learned professors or other high authorities. 



I repeat, though I have been a farmer and a market- 

 gardener of both fruits and vegetables on a large scale 

 for about 12 years, I have never seen the least harm done 

 by sparrows, and I rather like them, though they are 

 somewhat aggressive and impudent. — S. W. Gibson, 

 Eaton Co., Mich. 



They Destroyed Mr. Beattie's Lettuce andPeas.- — 

 Early last spring, I made my first planting of lettuce 

 from plants which had been started indoors, and were 

 consequently a little tender. They were well suited to 

 the sparrows' tastes, for in two days from planting not 

 a vestige of a leaf could be seen. In the same manner 

 four rows of peas were ruined. No sooner had they 

 sprouted than the sparrows got in their fine work, and 

 kept them pinched down to the ground. I tried every 

 conceivable kind of scarecrow to frighten them, but 

 without success. — Thos. Beattie, Nervport Co., R. / 



Against the Shot-gun Policy. — Time and again I 

 have seen four or five sparrows after one grasshopper. 

 I have seen them feed in flocks on the seed of the lesser 

 chickweed [Stc'/laria media ) which is common on culti- 

 vated ground during winter and spring at the south. To 

 say that the sparrow does not destroy seed is outside the 

 mark, for it certainly does. During the past season 

 several varieties of sorghum were planted near together, 

 and as soon as the seed became of any size the sparrows 

 began to devour it. In England it is common for farmers 

 to employ boys during seed-time and when the grain 

 begins to ripen, to scare the sparrows off. I have been 

 so employed myself, and used to be supplied with an old 

 tin pail, or something of the kind, and charged to shout 

 and make as much noise as possible. Sometimes I was 

 intrusted with an old gun and some powder, and my- 

 self generally contrived to supply the needed shot with 

 bits of stone or lead. In that country gardeners use 

 wire screens, called pea-guards, to keep the sparrows off 

 their peas. This may also be effected by stretching 

 strong black cotton along the rows about two inches 

 above the ground. It is no uncommon thing there to 

 see the gooseberry bushes with bits of rag tied on the end 

 of each shoot, or laced about in all directions with black 

 cotton or worsted. I believe the sparrow is less guilty 

 of driving off the singing-birds, than the boy with the 

 gun, and that about Thanksgiving at the north more 

 small birds are killed in one week than are driven off by 

 sparrows in a year. Almost every boy is out with a gun 

 andeverything that has feathers is shot. Atthesouth the 

 robins are killed during the winter by the score, and find 

 a ready sale at 75 cents per dozen. Besides the robin, 

 the nagro boy shoots almost every bird that comes in his 

 way. — H. W. Smith, Louisiana. 



Has Found no Damage Done. — In ten years' experi- 

 ence growing fruits and vegetables, I have not noted 

 much damage by sparrows, although it is often charged 

 that they drive our native birds away. I have seen 

 them picking green worms from cabbage. I have failed 

 to find any damage in several acres of raspberries and 

 other small fruits, while robins are very harden Dela- 

 ware grapes and black raspberries. — A. H., Cincinnati 

 Co., Ohio. 



Damage Reported. — Concerning the sparrow : I have 

 seen him pick off buds from currant and other bushes 

 and trees. I have caught him eating the tops of young 

 peas, lettuce and other vegetables. I have seen him 

 pick off grape-blossoms, and it is almost impossible to 

 get any of many kinds of seeds, as the sparrows pick 

 them as fast as they ripen. I have seen them rout a 

 pair of bluebirds out of their home. — John D. Young, 

 CHnton, Iowa. 



Sparrow Extermination in Chicago: Humanita- 

 rians Object to the Bounty Law. — Under the new law 

 of Illinois, which went into effect December i, giving a 

 bounty of two cents for the head of each English sparrow 

 killed in the state, the slaughter of the little birds has 

 been inaugurated with vigor. The sparrow-man in the 

 county clerk's office took in 1,572 heads in one day. 

 Several objections have been made to the new method 

 of exterminating the pests, the most notable of which 

 is that made by John G. Shortall, presidentof thelllinois 

 Humane Society. 



"The law is educationally vicious," he said recently. 

 "It sets a lot of children to work to devise the de- 

 struction of innocent living creatures. No one who has 

 the interests of the coming generation at heart can fail 

 to view with alarm this new method of educating 

 children to take pleasure in destruction and murder. 

 Moreover it causes great danger to life and property to 

 arm the children for this inhuman warfare." 



A Sparrow Farm. — On the bank of the Kaw river, 

 about two miles above Lawrence, Kansas, is a farm on 

 which is probably the most unique business in the West, 

 says a correspondent in the Boston Globe. The English 

 sparrow has always been looked upon as an outlaw 

 among the birds and a pest to man, but J, D. Norton 

 thought there was money in the little birds if they were 

 properly handled. He got as many as he could collect 

 and took them to his place, where he had arranged houses 

 and corners for them to build their nests and propagate. 

 All along the river there grows a tall weed which bears 

 a seed especially liked by the birds, and the sparrows 

 soon found it out and made their home contentedly on 

 the farm. This was fouryears ago, and the little fellows 

 have multiplied in a marvelous manner. Mr. Norton is 

 now reaping the benefit of his foresight and is supplying 

 the market with birds at good round prices. They are sold 

 as sparrows at all seasons, but when they reach the tables 

 of the first-class hotels and restaurants in Kansas City, St. 

 Louis and Chicago, they become reed-birds and rice 

 birds, according to the season. The birds have accumu- 



