River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-08-28
CROWS AND WEATHER.
And Some SaGncious Remarks ON the
Corn Crop by an Orange
County Farmer,

toward the latter end of last month"
said John Gilbert, the travelling gro
ceryman, relates the New York Sun,
land he told me he had been taking
drive about the country.
land l was sorry to see so many
crows in the eornfield, said he.
Bad for the farmers, of course,
said l.
bad for the farmers how? de-
manded the farmer.
WHY said l, because the crows
are pulling up all the corn
Bah exclaimed the farmer. Pull
ing up nothing! That's an idea that
doesn't go, nowadays. Crows don't
flock into cornfields to eat the farm
er's corn any more. They drop down to
dig up the worms that are making way
with the farmers corn.
"'When a crow pulls up a hill of
corn, he doesn't do it because he wants
the seed kernels that are at the root of
it. He knows there is a grub down there
getting ready to devour the young
shoots, and he is after that grub
Well said l, what difference does
it make to the farmer, so long as the
crow, in getting at the grub, gets the
hill of corn, too? The hill of corn is
gone just the same
There you go!' said the farmer.
That's the way all anti-crow chaps
argue! Can't you see further than the
end of your nose? If the crow should
let that grub alone the grub wouldn't
only destroy the hill of corn, but it
would come up out of the ground after
doing it, soon become a winged crea-
ture which, flying about, would devote
its week or so of life to laying thou
sands of eggs, every one of which
would become a grub next year, ready
to dine on the farmers corn, as fast
as he put it in.
81 didn't say word"
"'Now,' resumed the farmer, sup
pose the crows weren't on the lookout,
and did not make themselves busy dig
cling up and devouring these grubs?
Why. there wouldn't be farmer any
where with corn crop enough to make
a pot of mush! And if there wasn't
corn crop enough to make pot OF
mush, of course, there wouldn't be
enough to make even a pint of.
You've heard of the blue grass coun-
try, haven't you"
81 told him | had
"'Well,' said he, there wouldn't be
enough corn crop to make even pint
of what makes life in the blue grass
country-and incidentally elsewhere
I have heard-worth living.
"'Well, well' said I.
Certainly said the farmer. 4 say
was sorry to see so many crows in the
cornfields. Why? Because so many
crows in the cornfields is a sure sign
Of cold summer, and cold summer
isn't good for the farmers.
"'Crows plentiful in cornfields in
June means cold summer. | can't
tell you why, so don't ask me. The
crows know. Crows know almost ev-
erything. But I've watched it, and
never knew it to fail. Fact, | assure
sou.'
"'Do you mean to say said I, that
crows
''But the Orange county farmer cut
me off,
"'And now mind what I told you
about crows sale he and notice if you
| see the moon get full in the south be-
fore September. Just notice. If you
| do, then either the crow sign or the
| full moon sign will be a dead failure
| this year.
"'Why? Because lots Of crows in
| the cornfields early in June means a
cold summer. The moon getting full
in the south any time during the sum
mer means that there will be at least
three weeks of that month sweltering
hot See? Both signs can't be right,
coming in the same season.
"'Watch out, now. 1t may be that
| the first new moon may be the dry
weather one. In that case, if it fulls
in the south, I'll have to fall back on
| the weather prophets safeguard and
say: "All signs fail in time OF
| drought"
"'But you won't see the moon get
| full in the south this summer. The
crows have so ordered. Then, again,
if the moon fulls in the north, it means
cold weather. That you'll see the
moon do, sure. The crows have also
ordered that, and I'm sorry for the
! farmers.
"'The corn crop wasn't a failure,
though, last year, SO far as I've heard.
And speaking of that blue grass coun-
Try, will you
81 rose.
"'Thought So said the farmer
Come along. And, hello, there, you,
John! Pike down into the cornfield
yonder, and fix up them scarecrows.
The ding crows are dropping down in
| there to beat the band.'"