The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1900-07-26
Somerset Correspondents.

The following Is clipped rom oecfesd'y
Mckee rs Agricultural Board Bulletin Nc.
4. from correspondents in Somerset
towns:
ANsoN-A good fair feature of the bird
question is that farmers are beginning to
realize that ali binds are moi enemies. A
neighbor saws. when he encourages the
cave swallows and makes them a chance
10 build. he sees < eat difference IN the
amount OF flies about the cattle and about
the house Crows have been very humer-
Gus. but | doubt their being an enemy 10
The farmers interest The Board Bulletin
on the question of birds is doing great
good by calling attention 10 the absolute
necessity tor encouraging all enemies oil
the insect world. GEO. FLINT.
SOUTH NoRRIDGEwocK-As | watch
the habits and life of the birds | become
more and more convinced that the really
harmful birds are very few indeed. The
crow is usually regarded as having no re-
deeming traits but lifelong observation
leads me to number ii among the farmers
friends. Ii is true that he delights TO
pull up corn and potatoes, but he is just
as much OF coward as ever and a white
twine strung around field will surely
keep him at bay. And the very field the
farmer has planted has been looked over
by them for weeks before the seed was
planted, and countless numbers OF grubs
and worms and beetles and bugs have
been picked up, which would probably
have done far greater injury to the crop
than the crows could possibly do.
c. Z. WARREN.
CoRNvILLE-The most harmful bird to
the farmers, which we have in Maine is,
presume, the wellknown crow. The crow
is most persistent marauder. and his
ways are sometimes strange and mysteri-
Gus. have no sure remedy for keeping
crows from the corn and potato fields ex-
cept poisoning with strychnine. In some
years all possible scarecrows avail
nothing. In other seasons, with no pro-
lection, the corn is untouched. When
the corn is coming up visit the field often
and carry some new object and place
upon the corn piece every time you go,
unless you can get crow by poisoning.
In that case all the crows will take warm
ing and will come no more. The king
bird has been charged with eating bees,
the bluebrds with robbing the martin,
and the woodpecker with digging holes
into apple trees but sound trees are not
injured and colonies OF bees are not de-
stroyed by kingbirds. These birds
should not be slaughtered would not
shoot them nor any other bird except the
crow. A. SMITH.
SKowHEGAN-Naturally the farmer
seeks to protect his crops from being de-
stroyed, whether by beast, bird or insect
pest, and when a thieving crow is found
tearing up the young corn or trespassing
on the potato piece, there seems to be no
other alternative but to fight him to the
death. 1t has been question of contro-
versy for many years whether the crow
did more mischief than otherwise on the
farm. but if he begins his mischief we
shall protest in way he will readily un-
derstand. And it is about the same with
hawks. S. F. EMERSON.
MADISoN-Tbe crow is the only bird
that has done me any damage, and that is
by pulling up corn. Some years ! have
managed to frighten them away This
year caught one in trap and put him
on the ground and the rest have kept
away. J. S. BLACKWELL.
CANAAN-It is reported that there is a
new insect destroying all the apples in
some orchards in this section. The
birds are more plenty than for several
years, and not as many are being killed
as in years past. LEVI p BARRETT
LARoNE-Our bird enemies? We have
none with one exception, the crow. To
be sure he picks up few bugs, but only
when he is compelled to from not finding
anything to steal. He pulls up our
potatoes. beans and corn. and eats our
cherries. berries and apples. And worst
OF all he destroys many of our bird
friends by eating the eggs which would
produce insect eating birds. We can in a
measure keep the crows in check with
gun and crow scares, as far as our grain
and fruit are concerned. but for his great
er crime he has the best of 1t. unless con-
demned to death. In some sections
presume robins, sparrows, and perhaps
other birds. would be called enemies. but
here they are friends. Even the martin
Is very useful as an insect catcher. /
consider the swallow and oriole two OF
our very best birds.
WILL P. WINSLow.
SoLoN-I have no trouble with any of
the birds except the crow, and think the
best way to guard against them is set
traps and catch one. This will stop all
trouble l think the birds pay largely
for all the damage they do and we should
encourage their protection.
A B WALKER.
LExINGToN--l think the hawk. owl
and cuckoo may be the farmers enemies.
ard some think the crows are. but guess
they are friends to the farmer, for they
destroy great many grubs, grasshop-
pers. etc, more than enough to offset
what corn they destroy. | expect the
English sparrow is bad bird, but do
not know much about him. wish we
could have more laws to protect the birds
and have them better enforced.
TOuN II EREFx