Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-07-10
Crows---are they the Farmers
Curse or Not

On this subject correspondent Of the
Rural New Yorker, writes as follows;
There is no sound reason why the crow
should be so generally perseculed by us uu-
feathered bipcds. The farmer, consulting
his interest, should be the last one to wage
war upon brds that render him so much
service. 1t IS true they are a "colored'
race, that now and then appropriate a few
hills of corn. For this innocent thlegciy
We have permitted prejudice to spring up
against the bird, without weighing It's good
deeds in the balance. Aud thus prejudice
has IN some instances very unwIsely run 50
high as to set price on the crows mead.
That was an unwlse movement of an
honest farmer, who, at a town election,
strongly opposed an increase of the town
fund Tor educaliona, purposes, while, at the
same time, with equal ardor, he urged his
fellow citizens TO lay "a tax Cor the destruc-
ton of crews. The first was unwIse, be-
cause, in measure 1t curtaled the means
OF difiusng knowledge To the young aud
growing mind. The second was unwIse IN
one sense, because 1t undermined the pnn.
ciple urged Ia behalf Of the first. LET
every man educate lns own children" But
1t was the most unwlse, because such a
measure had for It's object the decrease aud
extinction of the crow, 10 the extent OF
which decrease, communicable agrlcul-
tural especiaily-would suffer a dead loss.
The food Of the crow consists almost
wholly of worms, grubs, insects, &c, and
dead animal matter Hence the reason of
has non-appearance IN new country nnld
the settlements have made considerable adj
yancemeni. BY such times the cultivated
fields begin IA measure to be injected
with the lava Of the insects, all more or
less injurious to the farmers crops OF gram
aud grass SO should we welcome the
coming of the crow with thankful hearts
rather than with guns pumed and cooked
/ for so long As these insects shall grow and
increase their largm, so long will his ser
vice and those of his fellow comrades d,
vastly more to hold in check ,heir myria,
NUMBERS than all the art aud ingenuity @
man combined il Is therefore shor
sighted policy TO seek the destruction o
these agricultural "helps."
The crow can be kept from depredatlns
upon the corn field. But the army OF tat
terdemalians, Of uucouth figures of men o
straw aud buckram, that 50 much dlshguf'
the fields ia May aud June, will not do 1t.
Nor will the erection of mimic wlndmiili
and other cliiter-clatter. Tarnug the corr
when planted, is said to be effectual' Bu
this is troublesome at least. Passing a cor'
or twlne around through various parts O
the field, al an elevation that wall admit c
; horse passing under, viii work cure
This practice my father pursued for nun
Der Of years, and always with success.
have seen il pracnced beside IN larg
number OF cases, aud never knew It TO fan
here the twlne was properly pat up beiof
the appearance of the coru. have hear
however Of one or two Instances oil iahuft
Any twlne Of strong, cheap material IN su
hclent, and If properly taken care OIL role
: up aud laid away when no longer needed
: the field, will last NUMBER oil years.
}; Another method have seen PRACTISE
: TO some extent, aud without failure
e IS, to smear shingles with gunpowder al
! suspend them by strings To STAKES sonewh