496 ~ QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Jung, 1899. 
There is little difference in the actual method of guiding the horse, except that 
the rein on the side opposite to the turning should be held fairly tight, so 
as not to-allow the lever bar on that side to rise and undo the leverage exerted. 
on the other. The curb need not be very tight, and so leaves the head quite 
free and easy. Many who have tried the bridle, even with bad cases of pullers, 
speak of its great success and complete control of the horse.—Farmer and 
Stockbreeder. 
ARE SPARROWS HARMEUL TO CROPS. 
A corresponpenr of the Agricultural Economist, London, says for the 
prosecution :— 
If you wish for an opinion on this knotty point, I can give you one of far 
greater value than anything that might emanate from myself. In a leaflet 
lately published by Miss E. A. Ormerod, containing the testimony of many as to 
the character of the sparrow and the food it eats, I find it generally asserted 
that sparrows live on grain almost exclusively. Colonel Russell, of Stubbers, 
near Romford, Essex, speaking of some ‘ experiments” he had made with 
sparrows, says, as quoted by Miss Ormerod, “The food in the old ones was - 
almost all corn during the whole year; green peas were also found in them in 
the summer, and in May and June, when corn is searce, a few wild seeds, chiefly 
of grass. No insect has been found by me in a sparrow between September 
and March. T have not often found one at any season in a sparrow old enough 
to feed itself, and have very seldom found any number of. insects in one, even 
when corn could scarcely be got.” 
This authority further remarks, “To prove that sparrows are really useful, 
it is not enough to show that they destroy some injurious insects, but it must 
uso be proved that in their absence other birds would not destroy them at 
least as effectually. This can be found out only in one way, by banishing the 
sparrows from a place for some years. Colonel Russell did this, leaving all 
birds but sparrows alone. The result was that after the almost total absence 
of sparrows from his garden for many years, everything seemed to do better 
than elsewhere, many things much better.” This is crushing testimony against 
the poor sparrow. At any rate, this is the only conclusion that can be drawn 
from Colonel Russell’s statements. 
To this a farmer adds :— 
Although a great lover of birds, and at all times willing to forgive them 
for inflicting a small amount of injury upon my crops, yet, I am sorry to say, I 
cannot soften my heart sufficiently to say a good word for the sparrow. In my 
opinion, this bird has scarcely one redeeming point in his character. We are 
assured by the highest authorities that the sparrow’s daily food consists of 
75 per cent. of corn; of green peas, 4; of beetles, 3; of caterpillars, 2; of 
insects which fly, 1; of bread, 5; and of weed seeds, 10 per cent.; and I know 
from my own experience that this is by no means an exaggerated estimate of 
his daily diet obtained at the expense of the farmer and gardener. 
Let any farmer watch the sparrow sitting on a hedge swarming with cater- 
pillars, and note if he attempts to eat a single one ! According to my observation, 
so long as any corn is within the xparrow’s reach he will not touch a single 
caterpillar, or indeed an insect of any kind. No, I look upon the sparrow as 
an unmitigated nuisance to farm crops; and while I have no wish to see him 
wholly exterminated, I do think that it is the duty of every farmer to see that 
he is not allowed to exist in too large numbers on the farms. 
For the defence, “ P. J.” and “Naturalist” reply :-— 
This is one of those moot points on which, as Sir Roger de Coverley said, 
“ Something may be said on both sides.” They eat seed corn it is true, they 
uso eat ripe corn at harvest time, but they eat insects and grubsas well. Ail 
that can be done, therefore, is to weigh the one against the other, and see, if 
we ean, on which side the balance lies. On this point ‘there is one thing not to 
