On the Gaultheria Shallon. 179 
mitnicate it to the public, well knowing, that in many instances, the loss 
occasioned by these birds is more than equal to the tythe of the crop, 
and I think that most practical men v/ho have made observation^ on the 
cornfields at the time of harvest, will be of the same opinion. li the 
whole of a parish %\'ere to put the above plan into operation, in the 
month of" June, I make no doubt that almost every bird might be 
destroyed. And when we take into consideration, the great sums 
{)aid annually, in some parishes, to persons who undertake to destroy 
these birds, I think the method here explained, will be found not only 
the best, but like^^'ise the cheapest. 
Small as these birds appear, their consumption of grain in the fields, 
both in seed time and harvest, is very great; they, very often, taking 
almost every grain all round the field, to the breadth of eight or ten 
i'i'et, and frequently to as many yards : and their doPtiHiction of the 
roofs of thatched buildings, is perceptible to every one. 
It is no trifling loss to a corn-gi-ower, to lose the quantity of grain 
these birds consume in the corn-stacks and farm yard; — I am of opi- 
nion that each bird will eat as much as its own weight, of corn, daily. 
No\\', I have known as many as 3000, caught in a single day on one 
farm, with a net;- — suppose we allow two ounces for the average 
weight of each hird, the consumption daily, would he about ten 
!jushels of corn. It may be said, that if these birds did not eat the 
loose corn, it would in a great measure be lost, but this could not be 
the case if a sufficient quantity of fowls were kept. 
As this, will probably fall into the hands of many persons who may 
have experienced as much of their mischievous effects on garden crops, 
&c. as I have done, I hope to li ear of the practice I now recommend, 
being well tried, jointly in each parish, 
I remain, Gentlemen, 
Yours, respectfully, 
Wilkrsley, August 22nd, 1831. George Stafford. 
Artcle III. — On the Gaultheria Shallon, as~ a valuable food 
for Bees. ]?y Dr. Bevan, Author of the "Treatise on 
the Honey ]5ee." 
Gentlemen, 
In your lunnber, now before me, of the Horticultural 
Register, I observe a notice of the Gaultheria Shallon. As a 
correspondent of Mr. Knight, the President of the Horticidtural Society, 
1 have sevei-al times received communications from him, i-cspccting that 
