Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-07-17
THE VALE OF POCHUNK.
LAND OF PEACE AND PLENTY.
WHERE THE CROWS ARE FULL
or WISDOM,
And Know Enough go Provide for Them.
selves Upon all Occasions.

II
Greek gropes its slothful way along the
western edge of Sussex county, to event
ually become an integral part Of the
great Drowned Lands of New Jersey and
New York. good farming land is plenty.
and the follower of the pillow grows fat
and rich.
Nowhere, perhaps, in all the land of
Jersey does the industrious and melli-
fiuous crow abound and appear more
thrifty than in Pochunk's garden spot.
Yet, prevalent and obtrusive as the crow
Is In that section, none of those fear
fully and wonderfully made effigies
which the old-time farmer fondlv be-
lieved carried terror to the soul Of the
marauding crow is TO be seen guarding
the cornfieid. The Pochunk farmer does
not dangle carcasses of dead crows from
networks of Irvine to convey to the minds
of live ones the alarming impression that
the dead birds were caught and hanged
while visiting the field to undo the
planters work; nor does he hang
gyrating fragments of dazzling tin from
lofty poles to awaken suspicion in the
prowling devastator of the cornfeld. l
suggested to a representative Pochunk
tiller of the soil that these facts were
odd.
''Y-a-a-s," said he, ct does look so.
But we used to set up the scarinest o. all
scarecrows, an run miles an miles o.
cord round the fields an use ourselfs up
tryin' to think o. ways to ketch a
crow or two to hang on the strings; an
the hunks o. tin we used to tie to poles
ID single all the roofs in the county.
But when we took to SEEM the crows,
years an years ago, lightin' on the
scarecrows an tearin' their clothes of,
an then takin' the pieces o. rags an
foldin' 'em up inter little bags, which
they carried with 'em over the field an
filled with the corn they dug up an flew
away with, pecks an pecks that they
couldn't a-got no other way, we jist met
an past a resolution to let the scarecrows
go, an we did. Then the crows got to
dom all sorts o. circusin on the Irvine we
stretched, an ID cut the dead crows from
the strings an jist take their carcasses
straight inter the cornfelds, dig graves
fur 'em in the hills o. corn, an plant 'em
with regular flner1 ceremonies. When
we see that, we met an passed another
resolution to use the string for set lines
for cells, an the strings had to 90. We
stuck to the swingin' an clatterin' an
daZzlin' tin, but I'm blan If the crows
didn't take to settlin' on them poles an
amusin' theirselfs by turnin' them bright
pieces o. tin so they'd throw the refec-
ton o. the sun inter our eyes so durn
sharp that there want man ez could
see to work in the fields. So we had to
either give up corn-plantin' or the tin,
an we passed resolution to sell the tin
fur old iron, and we did. Then we tried
the soakin' o. the seed corn in pizen.
That knocked lot o. the crows, an we
found good many of 'em dead around
the deestric'. We met an howled fur
j'y, an passed resolution that we had
'em now. But we didn't know the ca
pacity o. Pochunk crows. One day we
discovered the crows a-workin' as lively
as ever on the pizzen corn, an noticed
that ev'ry one on 'em, arter he'd
dug up an golluped a few hills,
d stick his head under his right wing
an peck away at sumpin' there, an
then perceed with the feast. We
didn't find no more dead crows, an
we passed a resolution that sumpin' was
up. One night l went out an dug
hole in one corner O. my cornield, deep
enough to bury myself in, an l buried
myself in it all but my eyes an nose and
the tip end o. my shotgun. An there
staid, hold up like ground hog, till day
light. Bright an 'arly down come lot
o. crows to make their breakfast on the
pizen corn. One o. the black fellows got
MI NNfrE - - II IL L
up with shot, and he stayed right in his
tracks. The rest o. the crows, o. course,
was mile away in less'n no time. |
dug myself out and picked up the dead
crow. looked in under his right wing
an what do We s'pose found A bunch
o. wild mustard. Wild mustard was a
sure antidote to the pizen we had in that
seed corn, and them crows had list
gathered some of it every time they
made raid on the corn, an had topped
off ev'ry two or three gollups o. corn
with chaw o. mustard, KNOWN that it
ID knock spots out'n the pizen. Then
we did meet. An we passed resolution
that it want no USE All but oil Squire
Spooner, He said he couldn't fetch his
self to believe in tlIe docturn o. total
depravity, even In crows. He said he
b'heved that they could read, an that if
they see that we twas within to do the
right thing by 'em they'd do the right
thing by us.
I'm gointer try a Experiment.. said the
Squires Pm gointer try Experiment., -.
said he, an / b'lieSe. tin work. Wait
an see, said ne. ''''' = =
$50 we passed resolution. that wajd
wait. What .dl5t!sthiHle tile sSd,klre
doneQ Hesdrew 4 .SsSw o. stakes around
a quarter 81 &nsnoRe o. zone os~the best,
fields of 'c6rn he ffsFd' pIFpteSs ,au, til.
want . pizen hill in the lot. Then he
had 3 sign painted thread like thisg z
CROWS. ATfESTfoSs Z g
ALI THE So4sN FSst6E oFtsgHkSikisss 49,. - {
Ir,ssSTtAilSIET ss rs YpSPiH. :, go: s.
Hikb f4lY RstR.s.RtFS Nv ssis i
g There, said the sSaNiEe.g Them