The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-08
CAN CROWS COUNT
A Pennsylvania Farmer Convinced
That They Can.
Frorn The Nel0 York Tribune

FrOa the NelS York Tribune.
LACEYvILLE, Pa, Jan. 1T got the
drop on flock Of pesky crows last spring.
said an old farmer on the Susquehauna river
valley near this village, but it took some
time and good deal OF ingenuity to do It.
The crows didn't care the flap of a wing for
the effigies of men that placed in the Geld
as soon as the corn was planted. The black
scamps scratched up corn all around the
scarecrows, and they got 80 cheeky that
they lit upon the hats of the scarecroWs.
cawed and croaked and made fun Of the
silent old men. When they had acted in
that familiar way for a spell fastened the
scarecrows to the lower limbs Of trees in
different parts Of the field, placing them
on their stomachs with sticks in their
fronts. SO that they looked at a distance as
though they were real men lying in wait
for the black corn thieves. The new atti-
tude of the scarecrows puzzled the crows
for day or 30, and they had several noisy
conventions over the discovery in the edge
of the woods where they sought shelter
whenever person entered the field. The
crows flew shy of the trees where the bogus
men lay on the limbs, but before the end OF
the week they made up their minds that
the things were harmless, and they settled
down and scratched up corn right under
them. Then l strung Irvine across the field
and hung up punches of new tin, but the
crows swooped down and dug up the corn
as before. l planted it over,
erected three noisy windmills in
the lot and thought | had got the best
of the black rasoals at last, but I found by
the middle Of the week that had flattered
myself too soon. The crows watched the
windmills from their perches in the woods
and had fun among themselves. They
chuckled over the new things with wheels
and clappers, and on the second day, every
time the wind died away, the cunning
birds alighted in the field and scratched up
corn till the windmills began to clstter
again. when they flew in the woods and
talked the matter over. On the fourth day
the crows took possession of the cornfield
and acted as though the windmills had
had been put up for their special entertain
ment. They didn't fear the wlndmills
any more than they did the rest of my de-
vices, and came to the conclusion that
wouldn't be able to raise any corn that sum-
mer
when l and my men had replanted the
corn a haybarn that stood in the center of
the lot gave me an idea, which l at once
proceeded to put into pracuice. l sprinkled
two quarts OF corn on the surface Of the
field near the barn, and tben and one of
the men loaded two double-barreled shot
guns and secreted ourselves in the barn,
where we could blaze away at the crows
when they came after the uncovered corn
The rest Of the men went to work on the
other end of the farm, out of sight OF the
cornfeld. We stayed in the barn for four
hours without seeing a single crow
settle down on any part Of the lot. The
crows knew that we were in the barn, and
while we could hear them cawing in the
edge of the woods, they were cunning
enough to keep out OF the cornfield. Then
started for the house, supposing that the
crows would alight in the loose corn soon
after they saw me leave the barn, SO that
my man in the barn might shoot some of
them. He stayed there for two hours, and
the crows remained in the woods on the
watch. Then he came to the house, and he
hadn't been out of the field two minutes
when thirty or forty hungry crows few to
the uncovered corn and gobbled it down in
hurry. 1t was about sunset then, and the
crows sailed back to the woods without
scratching in any of the hills.
1.-The next morning l sprinkled a lot
more corn in the same spot before the sun
was up. Pretty soon the crows began to
fly around in search Of a morning meal,
but they hadn't settled on the oOrnfield
when one of the men and l went into the
barn with our guns We stayed till two Of
the other men had got their breakfast when
they relieved US. After we had eaten we
returned to the barn. Mo- a crow had come
near the corn, and three of us walked to the
house with sticks en- our shoulders to rep
resent guns. thinking to make the crows be-
lieve that there wasn't a man in the barn,
and the crows knew It.; for they didn't go
near the planted or implanted corn in the
two hours aud half that he remained there
alons Then four OF US went to the barn In
single file. 1 stayed with the one who had
been laying in wait for the corn thieves,
and the other three marched to the house
with sticks on their shoulders. The trick
completely outwitted the crowa They
couldn't keep count after more than three
men had appeared between tine house and
the house and barn. They were satisfied In
their own noodles that all the men had left
the barn, and before the three men had been
out Of the lot two minutes there was great
cawing IN the woods, and in another min
ute or 80 a big flock of crows sailed toward
the barn. They were so sure that no dan
ger lurked in the barn thatthey immediately
dropped on the corn had sprinkled there
for them, and went to picking up the kerr
nels as though they were half starved. Both
OF US blazed away at the thick flock with
both barrels, and when we ran out we found
that we had killed and crippled seventeen
crows. More than that number got away.
The survivors were so badly scared that
didn't venture into the field again, and IN
the fall | harvested the best and biggest
crop of corn l have raised in eighteen