The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-03-09

by preference into towns and cities.
Thence, near harvest time, they flock
out to farms round about, aliehting
upon fields of grain of all sorts, eat
ing the kernels before they are hard
ened, and eating and wasting those
that are ripe. Standing upon grain
stalks. swaying to and fro and flap
ping their wings to keep their balance
they scatter much upon the ground. /
Thus whole fields are ruined. Shocks
and stacks are also covered with them
till all exposed heads are left without
a kernel. In visitation from New
Haven such crowds collected upon
neighborlng wheat shocks that the
owner killed eighty-nine by one dis
charge of his double-barreled shot
gun. Corn fields do not escape their
destructive work-the ends of green
ears being torn open and the grain F.
eaten or SO mutilated as to ferment
and decay.
They disfgure public and private
building, and ornamental trees and
shrubbery with nests and excrements.
Not only do cornices, gables, and
architectural ornaments suffer. but
roofs and water cutters receive their
pollutions.
They congregate in vine coverings
of churches and other edifces. The
luxurious ivy formerly covering por-
tions of the Smithsonian building, at
Washington, was thus totally des-
troyed. The sexton of St. Johns
Church, at Providence, R. l., took
go eggs and two carloads of nests
at one time from the ivy upon the
walls of that church.
The infliction becomes no more
tolerable TO us because England her
self, and all countries to which Eng
lishmen have migrated with their pet
pest, are suffering as badly as Amer
ica. There is but one worst pest
known in the wide world, viz, the
rabbit that is ravaging Australia and
its neighboring islands. This also
was introduced from England a few
years after the sparrow came here.
The plague of rabbits seems remedi-
less, but that of sparrows is not.
These birds are peculiarly gregarl-
Gus, and gather about human habita-
tions. First filling cities and villages
they next go to farms, and to woods
and lonely places only as forced by
overcrowding, whence they return it
room is again made for them. Hence,
they are very accessible to the fowler.
Cunning sportsmen killed thousands
OF them in Ithaca last winter, bring
ing marked relief in early spring, and
an accession OF useful birds from
forest recesses. But soon, between
breeding and collecting from outside
sparrows again nearly monopolized
the town. A sweeping destruction,
persevered in for two or three years,
would tree both town and surround
ing regions from their presence. Sim
liar concerted action in all cities and
villages, with sufficient cooperation
by farmers to drive them from their
home premises, with little shotgun
watchfulress for estrays that might
subsequently appear, would insure
their determination from the country.
To this end there is one effective
means, and probably only one-and
that is poison. To discover the best
method of its administration has been
the object of much experimenting
under the direction of the United
States Agricultural Department, des-
crlbed in pages 423 to 426 OF the
Commissioners Report for 1887.
The resulting recommendation is
feeding sparrows with wheat prepar-
ed according to directions to be
gathered from the report, but which
the commissioner, in reply 10 a letter
of inquiry, furnished more clearly in
the following formula: Dissolve ar
Senate of soda in warm water, at the
rate of an ounce to pint; pour this
upon as much wheat as it will cover
Gin vessel which can be closed so
as to prevent evaporation) and allow
it to soak at least twenty-four hours.
Dry the wheat SO prepared and it is
ready for use. Three kernels of this
will kill. Winter is the best time for
operations. Other birds are then
absent and sparrows are hungry,
alighting in hocks in the streets after
passing teams and along railroad
tracks, where grain is scattered from
wagons and cars. Here poisoned
wheat may be administered with
wholesale destruction to them and
little danger of harm to anything
else. If an occasional pigeon or
chicken that has no business abroad
should suffer, it is comparatively of
little consequence. If the great evil
is to be abated at all, it must only be
that it be done with the
least practicable injury and incon-