The Delta independent., 1891-02-17
ENGLISH SPARROWS.
Some Methods OF Destroying These Pes
tiferous Birds.

Some Methods OF Destroying These Pes
tiferOus Birds.
Tho United States Department OF
Agriculture recommends the following
treatment: Dissolve arseniate of so-la
in warm water. at the ratio OF an ounce
to pint; pour this upon as much wheat
as it will cover in n vessel which can be
closed SO as to prevent evaporation, and
allow ii to soak at least twenty-four
hours. Dry the wheat SO prcpa-.l, and
IL is ready for use. Throe kernels of
this will kill. Winter is the best time
for operations. Other birds are then
absent, and sparrows are hungry.
alighting in focks in the streets after
passing teams and along railroad tracks,
where grain is scattered from wagons
and cars. Here poison cd wheat may be
administered with wholesale destruc-
tion to thom, and little danger of harm
to any thing else.
II it is found that tho birds arc too
wary to take the poisoned grain ut frst,
they can be led up to 1t by feeding them
at the Same hour Of the day for a few
days with sound grain as a preliminary.
When they are used to ii, and off their
guard, throw down little poisoned
wheat-not too much at once, but just
enough for them to eat before thcy
have found ont that there is any thing
wrong-for you can not catch them all
at the one attempt. BY this means 3
large percentage Is got rid of at. one
time. Then begin with tho sound grain
again, and after TWO or three days uso
more poison. BY this means OF alter
mating non-poisoned grain with the
other article, spsrrows may be killed
all through the winter months Just as
fast rs they come in from other places,
and in time be almost annihilated.
LOOK OUT FOR RAILS.
How 10 Prevent Rodents from Entering
Lee Hives In Winter,
Unless the hive entrances are
arranged SO rs 70 keep out mice they
will often build nests in them as soon
as cold weather begins, thus doing
great damage. 4 good way to prevent
this is to tack q piece of stout wire
cloth over the entrance, the mcshcs of
which are large enough to allow the
bees to pass through freely. When the
bees are housed for winter do not
neglect to lay some poison in the cellar,
or winter repository, to destroy rats
and mice. If some porous material is
used for covering the brood frames, up
ward or top ventilation is not nocdcd,
either for out or indoor winterin2.
Entrances should open the whole
width for indoor wintering, provided
the temperature is kept above freezing.
For outdoor wintcring the entrances
should be contracted to a small opening
when exposed to the cold winter blasts
and also wind-brcaiss provided. A GOOD
deal has been said about sub-ventila-
ton to bee cellars. have tried IL and
with many others have concluded that
such ventilation is not needed. have
found that upward ventilation will
keep the air pure and also
regulate the temperature. The
part of the cellar where tho
stairs enter is partitioncd off SO that no
light can get to the bees when the trap
door is open. In cold weather l heat
the room above to regulate temperature
in the cellar. try to keep the temper
ature about 40 degrees. If the cellar Is
damp the temperature should not no be-
low 30 degrees, and 90 degrees would do
no harm. With a dry cellar, however,
this temperature would be rather high,
unless the bees winter stores consist OF
honey which will keep liquid all winter
and contains the right proportion Of
water If, however, the honey is very
thick or, what is worse, granulntcd, the
bees should have water in some way or
other or they will suffer. This is the
reason why I do not like ccmcntcd
floors for n bee cellar. Iwant n cellar
thnt hns n warm, humid atmosphere
so that the honey, by absorbing moist
urc from the air, will keep in
natural condition. There Is no trouble
about the honey getting sour in ouch
cellar ns long as strong colonies are
wintercd or no more combs are left
them than they can well cover. These
directions for wintering it should be re-
nembered are for sections where the
winters arc not warmer than Central
New Yorls-Julius Hoffman, In Farm
md Homo.