The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-05-14
Planting Corn.

The corn crop has two destructive
enemies one IS the crow, and the
other smut but both of them may
be avoided by good management.
The crow is willy bird, and very
suspicious, but by taking advantage
of its weakness in this respect we
nav be able to circumyent 1t. III
has another weakness, common TO
another race of bipeds, which is a
love for whisk, and we may also
take advantage of this to save the
corn from his dangerously kind at
tentions. No doubt the crow Is to a
great extent useful servant, but
unfortunately his services are so
clumsily performed that he does as
much damage as he does good, or
perhaps more for in his search for
and capture of cut-worms he pulls
I'D the corn, and is thus a worse
pest than the worm, which usually
takes but one plant out of the hill.
The crow hunts by scent, and II we
can disguise the scent he Is eaffied
or alarmed, and his suspicious are
aroused. At the same time the cut
worm finds its way to the corn by
scent. and when we baffie the crow
the worm is also avoided. To do
this it is only necessary TO cover the
seed with a film of gas tar, which
has a strong and offensive odor.
This is done by mixing a small
quantity tablespoonful, for ln-
etance-in sufficient hot water to
saturate a peck of seed corn. The
water and tar are well mingled by
stirring, and the corn Is then put
into the mixture, and the whole is
stirred together and left until the
cern has absorbed the water. A
thin film of the tar adheres to the
corn, which is sprinkled with dry
plaster or wood ashes or artificial
| fertilizer. to overcome the adhesive
ness of the tar. The seed is then
planted.
Smut is perhaps worse pest than
the crow, or its smaller, but equally
troublesome cousin, the crow black
bird. This is no doubt sown with
the seed, as is the case with oats or
wheat, and to rid the crop of it the
same precaution should be taken.
This is to steep the seed in a corro-
sive solution, which destroys the
soft and absorbent pores of the
smut. Sulphate of copper is the
most effective agent for this use.
One ounce dissolved in one quart OF
water is sufficient to saturate four
quarts of seed, and if the tar is add
ed to this solution, as above men
toned, the seed is disinfected of the
smut and coated with the tar, and
two birds, so to speak, are killed by
one stone. The prevalence Of smut
in corn amounts 10 a disaster. Nc
one knows, and few try to realize
how much injury is done to live
stock by feeding smutty corn and
| fodder. 1t is well known that the
smut of corn has the same contract
i've effect upon the uterus as ergot
of rye. and also affects the blood a.
a poison in the same way, produc'
ing gangrene of the extremities-just
such disease as has been prevalent
among the cattle IN Kansas, and
which produced the recent foolish
scare of foot and mouth disease
there. How many cases of abor'
ton in dairies occur from this cause
no one can tell, but We may well
suppose a large proportion fol
scarcely field of corn in the coun-
try is exempt rom more or less
smut. So that precautions against
it are imperative, and when We try
to avoid the crow we may as well
destroy the germs of the smut. A
little corn STEPPED in whisky and
strewn in the field will upset the
gravity of the crow, and make it an
easy prey to those who think the
only good crow is a dead one.