222 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
July, 
cheering it witl their songs. The crows have not a 
redeeming quality that renders them entitled to be 
saved. They are almost universally obnoxious to the 
agricultural community, and various are the methods 
employed to destroy them. They know enough to 
avoid the marksman, and are rarely shot. The most 
effectual way to destroy them, is to steep corn in helle¬ 
bore or strychnine, and strew it around some dead car¬ 
cass in the winter season. The carcass should be in 
some field or woods, out of the way of domestic 
fowls or animals. The late severe winter propably de¬ 
stroyed many crows, since they are less numerous than 
usual this spring. 
The American crow has been supposed to be identi¬ 
cal with the common carrion crow of Europe, but it is 
now considered by ornithologists to be different, from its 
smaller size, shape of its tongue, gregarious habits and 
voice. It is also much more timid and fearful of man. 
Nutt-all says that the European crow is so familiar and 
audacious in some parts of the Levant, that it will fre¬ 
quent the courts of houses and like a harpy alight bold¬ 
ly on the dishes, as the servants are carrying in the din¬ 
ner, and carry off the meat, if not driven away by 
blows. S. B. Buckley. West Dresden, Yates Co., 
N. Y., May. 1849. 
Catching Red Squirrels. 
Eds. Cultivator —There have been in The Culti¬ 
vator, several modes recommended for the destruction 
of rats and mice—those vexatious destroyers of the 
farmers’ grain; but nothing has been said, with regard 
to the destruction of red. squirrels, which find their 
way into the corn crib, however securely it may be 
guarded against the entrance of rats and mice. Every 
one who is acquainted with these little marauders, 
knows too well how readily he will gnaw a hole through 
the barn roof, or into the granary; and how frequently 
is it the case that they enter the domicil of the farmer 
and plunder the precious fruits, “ which autumn richly 
pours ”—chestnuts, hickory nuts, butternuts, &.C., which 
had been safely stored for use, during the long and 
pleasant evenings of winter. Where they are so nume¬ 
rous as they have been in this region the past few sea¬ 
sons, their destruction is an objcet, as worthy the at¬ 
tention of the farmer, as the destruction of any other 
animal, which wastes and destroys the fruits of the 
farmer’s industry. One red squirrel, permitted to live 
about a barn, or corn crib, will destroy more grain than 
two rats; besides the injury they are liable to do to 
the building by gnawing holes in the roof or the ceiling. 
As they are always so quick and shy in committing their 
depredations,- and as we cannot always avail ourselves 
of an opportunity of demolishing them with “ Mexi¬ 
can grape,” and as they are not readily caught in com¬ 
mon traps, I have practiced a more expeditious and 
funny mode of capturing them—which will be sport for 
boys. 
Unlike the black and the gray squirrels, which sel¬ 
dom or never seek a refuge in a hole in the rails of a 
fence, when pursued, the red squirrel searches out all 
such hiding places in the fences where he is accustom¬ 
ed to run—as if to seek places of safety and conceal¬ 
ment, when pursued by the sportsman. Although they 
are bold in approaching places, where the black and the 
gray squirrel dare not make their appearance, still they 
are exceedingly suspicious and shy of anything which 
has the appearance of a trap. Taking advantage of 
their remarkable propensity to run into holes, I lay a 
pump-log, or a bark which has rolled together, or any¬ 
thing which has a hole in it large enough for them to 
enter, upon the fence; and as the dog or anything else 
chases them along, they will take refuge in this trap. 
Then if I wish to take them alive, I hold a bag over 
one end, and punch them out with a pole. Sportsman. 
Preservation of Grain. 
The report on the Breadstuff's of the United States, 
made to the Commissioner of Patents, by Lewis C. 
Beck. M. D., contains many facts worthy of special at¬ 
tention. The remarks in regard to the preservation of 
grain, exhibit in a striking light, the necessity and ad¬ 
vantage of adopting some artificial mode of drying. 
The losses which are sustained from the souring of 
flour, and the chemical changes in breadstuff's: by inter¬ 
nal moisture, is estimated at from $3,000,000 to $5,- 
000,000 annually. The practice of shipping grain in 
bulk is considered the cause of much injury. 
The remedy proposed, is the removal of a portion of 
the water naturally contained in flour and grain. But 
the process of drying requires great care. In regard 
to ordinary kiln drying, it is observed:—“ The passage 
of the grain or flour, however rapidly, over highly 
heated surfaces is apt to scorch, and thus give them an 
unpleasant flavor. From the rapid evolution of the 
moisture in the form of steam by the heat thus applied, 
unless proper ventilation be also secured, further injury 
will prubably result. The steam again condensing in¬ 
to water, upon the cooling of the flour, may accumu¬ 
late in particular parts of the mass operated on, and, 
thus, perhaps, render it at least equally liable to injury 
as it would have been without the employment of this 
process.” 
The report further observes that “ in those samples 
of wheat flour that have been exposed to a degree of 
heat high enough to expel all the water, the gluten 
is less tough and elastic—a proof that its quality 
has been impaired. It is probable that the proportions 
of dextrine and glucose may thus also be increased at 
the expense of the starch. Under these circumstances, 
a subsequent exposure to moisture and a slight eleva* 
tion of temperature, establishes the lactic acid fermen¬ 
tation, which, I suppose, is the chief cause of the sour¬ 
ing of flour.” 
Mr. J. R. Stafford’s process of steam-drying, of 
which we have several times spoken, is thus noticed: 
“The advantages to be derived from artificial drying, 
are more fully attained by the invention patented by 
Mr. J. R. Stafford, in 1847, than by any other plan 
with which I am acquainted. It is based upon the pro¬ 
cess for drying organic bodies usually adopted in the la¬ 
boratory. The grain or flour is brought into contact 
with a surface of metal heated by steam, and a due de¬ 
gree of ventilation, so important to the completion of 
the drying, is secured. As the heat is not raised above 
that of boiling water, there is no danger of injuring the 
quality, color, or flavor of the substances subjected to its 
action. The heat is, moreover, uniform, and the expense 
is said to be less than thatof the mode of drying heretofore 
generally adopted. By Mr. Stafford’s apparatus, 16 or 
17 pounds of water are expelled from each barrel of 
flour; this reduces the proportion of water to four or 
five per cent., an amount too small to be productive of 
injury. Absolute dryness cannot be easily attained ex¬ 
cept by a long exposure of the flour to the heat, and it 
is not required for its preservation; a reduction of the 
amount of water to the small per centage just stated, 
has been found to be amply sufficient to secure this ob¬ 
ject. I cannot, in my opinion, render a more import¬ 
ant. service to dealers in breadstuff's, than to recommend 
strongly the employment of this or a similar process of 
drying.” 
The grain and flour should be packed in clean and 
tight barrels, and kept without unnecessary exposure to 
the air. 
Since the above was put in type, we have received a 
letter from Mr. Stafford, stating that during the past 
year there have been but few shipments to England, of 
meal dried by his process, and none of corn: that Messrs. 
