New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-10
SELECTIONS FROM THE MAIL.
POISON THE SPARROWs
AN OFFICIAL FORMULA FOR ABATING THE NUS

ANCE.
| TO ne EDITOR Of The Tribune
Sir: rejoice to ind that the world is coming
round to my cherished views Of tho dopravity Of the
useless English sparrow, and fits worthness OF death
at the hands of every man and of every boy. In
order to justify the summary method recommended
for their determination, will recount some Of their
mIsdoings as reported from different parts Of tho
United States. Since Importation, they have null
ped at the annual rate of five or six broods OF rom
four to six each TO the pair and spread over moro
than half of tho United states and Territories, with
large portion Of Canada, and covering the re-
msnder the present Out increasing rate Of more
than 500 900 square miles year. and are every
where driving both insectivorous and song birds
In the spring, sparTOws bite of pull up tender
garden plants as they come up and eat out
germs from fruit buds of trees, vines and smaufrut
plants Such germs are not completely destroyed are
often mutllated and form imperfect fruit which falls
ready Frey to the increased swarns OF insects Later
in tho season they attack the choicest growing vegeta
bles and early pening fruits, ana destroy grapes and
peck into mellowing apples and pears in the fall
Their depredations upon farm crops becoming
more Serious in tho entament OF pecunary loss than
those upon horticultural products Dor breeding haunts,
and winter food and shelter, they hrong by prefer
once into towns and cities. Thence, near harvest
time, they flock out 10 farms round about aliehting
upon fields grain OF all sorts, eating the kernels
before they arc hardened, and eating and wasting
those that are ripe. Standing upon grain stalks,
swaying 10 and fro and Mapping their wings to keep
their balance, they scatter much upon
tho ground. Thus whole fields ruined. Shocks
and stacks are covered with them till all exposed
heads are left without a Kernel In a visitation from
New-Haven~ such crowds collected upon neghboring
wheat shocks that tho owner killed elghty~nine by
discharge of his doublebarrelled shotgun. Cohelds
do not escape their destructive work-the ends OF
green ears being open and the grain eaten or so
mutilated TO ferment and decay.
They diSfgure public and private buildings, and or
namenta trees and shrubbery with nests and excre-
ments. Not only do cornces, gables and architectu-
raj ornaments suffer, but roofs and water cutters re-
ceve their pollutions.
They congregate In vine coverings OF churches and
other edlfces The luxurious Ivy formerly covering
portions of the Smithsonian building at Washington
was thus totally destroyed The sexton OF ST. Johns
Church at Providence, r. l., took go eggs and two
carloads of at time from the ivy upon the
| walls OF that church.
The infection becomes no moro toerable 10 US, DO
cause England herself, and ell countries to which
| Englishmcn havo migrated with their pet pest, are
| suffering as badly as America There IL but one
worst pest known in tho wide world, viz the rabbit
that is ravagng Australia and its neighboring islands.
| This also was introduced from England few years
after the sparrow came here. The plague OF rabbits
seems remedies, but that Of sparrows is not These
birds peculiarly gregsous and gather about human
babitaHons First filing cities and villages, they
20 TO farms and TO woods and lonely places only
| as forced by overcrowdlng, whence they return II
room Is again made for them. Hence, they are vefy
accessible to the fowler. Cunning sporsmen killed
thousands Of them In Ithaca last winter bringing
marked relief In early spring. and an accession OF
useful birds from forest recesses But soon between
breeding and collecting from outside, spatrows again
| nearly monopolzed the town. A sweeping destruc-
tOn persevered in for two three years, would free
both town and surrounding regions from their pres
enco. Similar concerted action In all cities and VII
lagos with sufficient corporation by farmers 70 drive
them from their home premises with little shotgun
watchiunegs for estrays that might subsequently APP
pear would insure their determination from the eoun
| try. -.
TO this end there Is enc effective means and probably
| only One-aDd that IS poison TO discover the best
method OF It's administration has been the object OF
much experimenting under the direction OF tho United
State Agricultural Department, Described IN pages
| l23 to 426 of the Commissioners Report for 1887.
The resulting recommendation is feeding sparrows with
wheat prepared according TO directions 10 be gathef
from the report, but which the Commissioner. IN reply
toa letter Of inquiry furnished more clearly In The
following formula Dissolve arseniate or SOFA IN warm
water at the rate Of an ounce 20 pint pour ms
upon much wheat 10 win cover I'm vessel when
can be closed 10 prevent evoporatlonl ana auoW
Il 20 soak at least twenty -four hours Dry me wnea
so prepared and II Is ready for use. Three Kernoh
Of this will KILL Winter Is the best tme TOT opera
tions other birds are then absent and sparTows arc
hungry alghng IN Hocks In the streets after passing
teams and along railroad tracks, where grain is
scattered from wagons ard Hcre poisoned wheat
may DO administered with wholesale destrucnOh %
them and little danger Of harm 10 anything else II
on occasional pigeon chicken that has no business
abroad should suffer, n is comparatively OF little con-
sequence. II the great evil Is 10 be abated AZ all
must only be required that II be done win the ieas
practicable injury and Inconvenience ...
| Ithaca N Y. Feb q. 1889. j. III. SHERMAN.