The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-10-18 00:00:00

WOOL

WINFRITII FARMEDS' CM:B.—The first monthly
meeting of this club after harvest was held on Wed-
nesday evening at the Black Bear Inn, Wool, when
the subject for discussion was "On the importance
of destroying rata, sparrows, fr.c.," the introduction
of which had been entrusted to Mr. Mead, of Monas-
tery Farm. Mr. J. A. Damen, president, occupied
the chair, and in the absence of Mr. T. H. Saunders,
it was resolved that Mr. Randall should take the
vice-chair. Mr. Mead, in the course of his observa-
tions, suggested the following plan of destroying
rata, sparrows, .ta :—Divide the neighbourhood into
districts, each district comprising so many farms.
Let the farmers agree to meet together once in a
month. At each monthly meeting let each farmer
be obliged to produce a certain number of rats' tails
(as having been really destroyed on his farm), in
proportion to the acres which he farms, or pay a fine
in proportion to the number deficient Let this
plan be honestly and diligently pursued till the rata
on each farm are so diminished in number that the
number of tails first fixed cannot be procured. Then
let the number be diminished to one half, and when
that half can no longer be gotten, let it again be
diminished to a fourth, till all the rats are exter-
minated. In this way, I believe, that great advan-
tages would be obtained by mutual coperation. As
regards the destruction of the small birds, we might
resort to shooting them, catching them in nets by
night, which is often a very successful method,
knocking them down at night with sticks in the
barns and outhouses, to which they resort in great
numbers, for the purpose of roosting and finding
shelter from the weather. A very successful method
of destroying thew is the following :—Fix up some
Ist boards on the roofs of the buildings, and strew
thereon some chicken's corn for the small birds to
eat ; in four or five days they will look out for this
regular supply. Then strew on the boards corn
steeped in an infusion of nux voniitat They will
resort to this immediately for food, and eat to their
certain aud sire. ly destruction. If it be objected
that this is a dangerous use of poison, whereby the
poultry, de., may suffer, I reply that the boards
should be in such situations as to be beyond the
flight of domestic poultry. The pigeons, indeed
would suffer, unless they were confined in some out-
house or room, whence they could not make their
escape. A supply of food, water, gravel or earth,
would keep them in health fur at least a week or
two--s space of time amply sufficient to accouiplish
the destruction of great numbers of our small winged
enemies. The same regulations might be made with
respect to each farmer furnishing monthly so many
birds' heads as were suggested respecting rats' tails;
and thus, by setting our own hands to the work, and
putting the heads and tails together, we could soon
tind to onr satisfaction that the number of our
enemies would be very sensibly diminished, our an-
noyances and losses lessened in proportion, our
banks more tidy, our drains free to do their
work, our poultry yards peopled by a rejoicing and
grateful family, and peace and security prevailing
generally instead of the fear and bloodshed and loss
now so generally lamented. A discussion followed
in which Mr. Lillington, Mr. White, Mr. T. Ran-
dall, Mr. J. Ileasant, Mr. Sly, Mr. Jackson, Mr. F.
Clarke, and Mr. U. Saunders, took part. A. vote of
thanks WU passed to Mr. Mead for the very able
manner in which he had introduced the subject.