The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-02-26

ing will destroy the natural color. The body should be immersed until the feathers eloosens up, which indicates that the skin is contracted by the heat and that the feathers can be easily re moved.
 Pick rapidly. but carefully. If the, water Is too hot or the fowl Is left. in too long. the skin may become cooked. If the water is too cool, the tender surface will peel making dark; unsIghtly patches: the feathers will stick and the skin will be torn.
 Finishing the Job.
 After picking the chickens they should be dipped In the hot water for a few seconds, and then in cold water. By. this treatment they will keep long or than they will if scalded In water of low temperature. When the pick ing is completed the wings should be folded behind the back. and then ini-
 When thoroughly chilled they should be laid on boards in cool place to dry. unless they are to be shipped long distances, in which case they should be packed in ice with layers separated by clean rye straw. Tn packing, they side. backs downward. and the order reversed with each layer, so that they will be pressed in solid and retain the natural position.--( Prof. James E. Rice, Cornell University, N Y.
 Birds Protection Against BoiI weevit. New Orleans Item
 A proposition from the Audubon So- ciety of Louisiana for the lease of a large body of land in thes Borgne dis trict, as a reservation for bird-breed- ing, has been acted upon favorAbly. The lessors receive a small rental and the iessees derive no profit except the general advantage of protecting the breed of such birds as are an aid to agriculture From investigations made and reported by the boards of ento- mology, we find that in this section not less than twenty-three varieties of birds are eaters of boil weeviis--the most important of which are Iarks, black birds and bob-whites.
 Mir. Bailey, chief field naturalist, in recent report, very wisely suggests that such labors as those of the Aa- dubon Society should be encouraged and finally remedy the destruction of i useful birds. For several years past. the cotton growers of Texas, as is well known, have sustained enormous losses through the ravages of cotton boil weevils, Remedial measures of vari- ous kinds have been tried, but though some of these have undoubtedly proven more or less successful. the number Of AHSSCSS dOtS liOL SSSil tO nave D&Sn materially reduced, and their progress into other cotton producing districts has been steady, the borders of their range widening yearly.
 The extent to which the native birds feed upon this--one of the most de- structive insect pests that has ever. appeared in the United States--is yet but imperfectly understood, and inves- tigations are now being conducted by fnol rrrtth laxrx k. determining just what species feed upon the weevil and the extent to which it enters into the fare of each.
 The fact that for the past twelve years, sSthe weevil has been steadily spreading over the cotton producing area. forbids the assumption that birds are likely to ever exterminate the tn- sects. Nevertheless. certain species prey upon the weevil to a greater or less extent, and 1t Is probable that by carefully protecting such species and by encouraging their increase, the good work they now do may be greatly augmented in the future Thus, beside the question of extermination of many species of the birds, they will, If pre- served, likely prove an effective ally in checking the increase of the weeyil pest. The fact that other species of weevils are favorite diet with many of our tnsectivorous birds has been proved by previous investigations. Moreover, 1t is well-known that when a new insect first appears in a district, birds are somewhat slow In acquiring a taste for 1t, and in sufficiently learn ing its haunts and hiding places to ef- Actively pursue and capture 1t. It is probable, therefore, that some birds which at present are not known to at- tack. the weevil at all. will acquire a taste for it. and others which now feed upon 1t sparingly will in future feed upon 1t to a greater extent.