The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-05-26
CECIL FARMERS CLUB.
An Interesting May Meeting at wood
lands" the Homestead OF Joseph
Coudon, Esq.

UEUlI l. I'M ERS UIUD.
An Interesting May Meeting at wood
lands the homestead OF Joseph
Coudon, Esq.
One of the handsomest estates in this
county, not only in acreage, but in the
attractiyeness of its location is "Wood-
lands" the homestead of Mr.. Joseph
Coudon near Perryville. The landscape
which unveils its panoramic beauty to
the eye is doubly enchanting at this sea-
son, when the blush of early summer is
on the foliage, and nature whose unceas-
ing hand rolls round the seasons of the
chauge:ul year" paints as only that mi
mitable artist can, such fresh and delicate
hues, to delight the grateful beholder.
I Ca Wednesday, however, when the
Cecil Farmers Club met there, nature
was repentlug in tears her past unkind-
ne sses of the year. She poured down
bountifully her vapory blessing, and the
tender blades of corn drank in the CRATE
full moisture and lost their sickly hue. In
grateful silence the earth received the
general blessing, while each flower and
tree and shrub expanded its teuder leaves
as glad to share the common joy. 1t was
rainy May morning, but the fertile
moisture cheered the patient farmer and
his thriving plants blessed the heavenly
dew. Moisture just now if followed by
| ha fr1n
money in the toiling farmers pocket, and
the discomforts of dripping garments were
trivial, when promptly at the hour of
meeting, the hospitable doors of ''Wood-
lands We're thrown open to welcome on
Wednesday the Cecil Cincinnati.
At eleven o'clock the club was called to
order by S r. Carson, Esq, its president,
the following members being present.
Henry S. Coudon, Enoch Mccullough,
Enoch Noyes, John p. Wilson, Adam II.
Magraw, Stephen G, Magraw, Samuel r.
Carson, George W. Sutton, Thomas G.
Bond, and Joseph Coudon. The visitors
present were Thomas Fassett and Henry
r. Torbert, OF THE WING. The minutes
of the last meeting were read by John P.
Wilson secretary, and on motion were
approved. Unfinished business being in
order Mr.. Adam r. Magraw wished to
call the attention of the club to little
! incident he noticed since the last meeting
acter of the English sparrow was under
discussion, and a resolution offered by
| Mr.. Henry S. Coudon had been adopted
relative to the ravages done upon grain
by this bird. Standing on his lawn he
noticed robin pick up grub worm of
some kind, and just as he was in the act
of swallowing it, he was attacked by an
English sparrow which captured and ate
the grub, the robin submitting unresist-
ingly to the attack. AS this little Incl
dept seemed to indicate the insectivorous
character of the sparrow, it suggested
the necessity of a thorough investigation
as to the habits and food of this bird be-
fore pronouncing so emphatically against
it. Mr.. Magraw thought the English
/
than century ago the attention of as
illustrious parsonage as Frederick the
| Great of Prussia, whose death occurred
in 17S6 had been called to it. This SOW
ereign whom the ablest historians of his
his times have pronounced as one of the
most liberal and enlightened rulers whom
Germany has ever known, was in the
habit of indulging his Imperial fancy in
the cultivation of fine fruits, especially
rare varieties of choice cherries of which
| fruit he was particularly fond. The Eng
fish sparrow having made its way even
then into his Majesty's domains. he found
that this industrious pilferer was in the
habit of helping himself to one-half his
crop OF fine fruit. To rid himself of the
winged maurader of his orchards, he put
bounty upon sparrows heads, and sue
ceeded in exte:minating them absolutely,
only to find that the caterpiliars and other
worms ate all his fruit. He therefore
concluded he had mistaken the true char
acter and usefulness of this bird as an
iusectivorous feeder, and promptly Or
dered them to be re- introduced into
Prussia from England. If this testimony
meant anything, it went to prove that
unless the English sparrow had changed
its character within a century that it was
being maligned and misunderstood as
much today as it was in Frederick the
Greats time. Mr.. Magraw did not
champion the cause of the sparrow, but
cited the foregoing historical fact relative
to it, and called attention to the further
fact, that there was a marked difference
of opinion as to the real character of this
bird existing today among intelligent
students of it's habits and learned orni-
biologists.
Different members Of the club gave
their opinions based upon individual
notice of the ravages done by these birds
as we'll as observation of their habits, the
general opinion being that they were the
enemy OF the farmer. This opinion as
expressed through the resolution passed
at the last meeting of the club was gen.
orally re affirmed.
Mr.. Enoch Mccullough believed that
the damage done by the sparrow was
largely in excess of any possible benefit
it might confer in the destruction of
insects.
Mr.. Thomas c. B )nd's experience and
observation confirmed the general opin-
ion, the great majority of the club being
unequivocal enemies of the bird in ques-
ton.
Experiments being called for, Mr..
| Euoch Mccullough reported that he had
a very fins spread of clover as the result
of sowing it with oats last spring.
Mr.. Euoch Noyes reported that the rye
sown in August last for pasturage was
not as satisfactory in results as he had
hoped, but he believed that he had sown
it at least one month too early. He had
a fine growth of clover, as the result he
thought of the use of partially burned
oyster shells, and his opinion was, that a
tine growth of clover could be produced
by the use of ground shells. Mr.. Henry
S. Coudon, and Mr.. George w. Sutton
held opposite views of the benefits to be
expected from the use of shells, Mr.. JOS