The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-10-18
VALUE OF CROWS TO FARMERS.

VALUE OF CROWS TO FARMERS.
The Department of Agriculture has
been making an Investigation of crows
and their food and habits with a view to
determining whether the crows is as
much an enemy to the farmer as he is !
generally credited. There are few birds
so well known as the common crOW,
but, according to the department, I'M
like most other species he does not seem
10 decrease in number as the country
becomes more dcnscly populated. The
crow is commonly regarded as a black
leg and a thief. Without the dash and
b illianoy "f the jay, or the bold savag-
ely Of the hawk, he Is accused OF doing
more micbief than either. That he
does pull up sprOutinG corn, destroy
chickens, and rob the nests Of small
birds has been repeatedly proved. Nor
are these oil of his sins. lie is known
to eat frogs, loads, salamandcrs, and
some small snakes, all harmless Great
urcs that do some good by eating in
sccts. With so many charges against
him, it may be well to show why he
should not be utterly condemned.
The examination of a large number
Of stomaChs, while confirming all the
foregoing accusations, has thrown upon
the subject a light somewhat different
from that derived solely from field OBJ
servation. 1T shows that the birds.
nesting habit, as in the case of the Jay,
is not so universal as has been suppos-
ed; and that, SO far from being a habit
ual nest roDber, the crow only OCCASION
ally INDUCES in that rc~prehensible
practice. The same is true i'm regard to
destroying chickens, for he is able to
carry off none but very young ones,
and his opportunities for capturing
them are somewhat limited. Neither
arc many toads and frogs eaten, and as
frogs are of no great practical value,
their obstruction is not n serious mat
ter; but toads are very useful, and their
consumption, so far as il goes, must be
counted against the crow. Turtles,
crawlishcs, and snails, of which he eats
quite a large number, may be consider
ed neutral, while mice may be counted
to his credit.
In his insect food, however, the crow
makes amends for sins in the rest of
his dietary, although even herc the first
item Is against him. PredaceOus beet
les which are useful are eaten in some
numbers throughout the season, but
the numbcr is not great. May beetles,
"~dor-bugs," or June bugs, and others
of the same family, constitute the
principal food during spring and early
summer, and are fed to the young in
immense quantities. Other beetles,
neatly all of a noXious character, are
eaten to a considerable extent. Grass
hoppcrs are first taken in May, but not
IN large numbers until August, when, as
might be expected, they form the lead
ing article OF diet, showing hat the
crow is no exception to the general rule
that most birds subsist, to a large cX-
tent, upon grasshoppcrs in the month
of August. Many bugs, some catcrpi-
lars, mostly worms, and some spiders
arc also caten-all of them either harm
ful or neutral in their economic rela-
ton. OF the insect diet Mr.. f.. A.
Schwartz says: "Thc facts, on the
whole, speak overwhelmingly in favor
of tho crows"
Probably the most important item IN
the vegetable food is corn, and by pull
ing up the newly sprouted seeds the
bird renders himself extremely obnoX-
ious. Observation and experiments
with tame crows show that hard dry
corn is eaten if anything else is
to be had, and if fed to nestlinos il is
soon disgorged. The reason crows
resort to newly planted fields is that the
Kernels are softcncd by the moisture of
the earth, and probably become more
palatable III the process of termination,
which changes the starch of the grain
to sugar. The fact, however, remains
that crows eat corn extensively only
when it has been softened by germina-
ton or partial decay, or before it is
ripe and still SIN the milk" Expert
ence has shown that they may be pre-
vented from pulling up young corr by
tarrlng the seed, which not only saves
the corn hut forces them to turn Their
attention to insects. If they persist in
eating the glccn corn, ii is not so easy to
prevent the damage; but no details of
extensive injury in this way have yet
been presented, and it is probable that
no great harm has been done.
In estimating She economic status of
the crow, the department concludes
That he does some damage, but on
the other hand, he should receive much
credlt for TIC insects which lie DESTROYS.
In the more thickly settled parts of the
country the crow probably does more
good than harm, at least when ordin-
airy precautions are taken to protect
young poultry and newly planted corn
against his dcpredations. If however,
corn is planted with no provision
against possible ~maraudcrs, ifhens and
turkeys are allowed to nest and to roam
with their broods at a distance from
farm buildings, losses must be expect
ed. The ordinary farmer will doubt
less pay much more attention to the
as a marauler than to the crow as
u bcnefactor.
KEROSENE For POULTRY.--A writ
80