The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1914-03-13
CROWS A
MENACE
TO CROPS
r. II. WILSON AND DON
LAW1EAD HAVE OPPOSITE
IDEAS OF THE PEST

Opposition Of the state game war
den's department 70 the plan OF
secretary Ben Hennessev for Q Grow
killing day was voiced Thursday by
Don r Iawhead. secretary to state
Game and Fish Warden John b.
Doolin.
Lawhead says the plan Of MT
Hennessey is directly contrary 10 the
recent proclamation issued by Gov
ernor Cruce providing for a bird
day, and contrary TO the biological
survey of the United States depart
ment of agriculture, which describes
the crow as one Of the most useful
OF birds.
THE crow is recognized as one of
the greatest rodent killers among
birds and as such is OF inestimable
value to every oklahoma farmer
said l.awhead
State Superintendent r. n. Wilson,
who has oined the state game war
den's department in tine plan for a
bird day and who is generally in
terested in the bird day movement
said If the crow has ever been
classed as a rodent killer have
never heard of it. 1t has always
Teen my impression that the crow was
a foe Of the farmer. My impressions
were gained while I was actually en-
gagged in farming The crow is a pest
and should be eXterminated.
All Birds Useful
There is no bird which is not val
liable to crop life of every kind. 1t
Is the hope of the game warden's de-
partment that the suggestion OF Mr..
Hennessv for an organized slaughter
Of COWS viii not be carried out
said l-awhead
Crows Eat Planted Grain.
"The splendid pasturage of wheat
fields during the past winter has
precluded the necessity OF fseding
and the farmer who was sowing his
feed Tor next year has awakened to
the fat that not a grain remains in
the heads Of the plants the thou
sands Of acres over the state One
farmer to whom I was talking few
days ago. sowei about twenty acres
OF oats and as the earth was moist
and the knives c.ogged, a great deal
OF the seed was left on the surface
Oats will serout and take rot with
out covering and this would nor have
initiated against a crop had not the
crows eaten every seed that was ex-
posed or buried in shallow ground,
and the result is that be must resow
the field, with danger Of repetition,
90 without oats. Another danger IS
that OF SPREADING epidemic over the
entire country The crow. as well as
being grain eating bird. viii eat
the oarrion Of dead animals and carry
the germs ia every direction.
Grow s Curious.
The row IS the most curi ,aa Bird
on earth and long after mis- craw is
filed when other Dlrds unde. ike
e uaitions would fy TO some tree and
stay there until hunger brought Them
ont again, one crow wiz fly from one
stock peu 20 another an carry any
cholera or other germs over an en-
'ire country In one day The or " IS
moro res sponsible for spreading hog
cholera than any other one agency in
tho world
Asks Lodges 10 I'd.
am asking he organizat. .ons.
such as be Elks. he Eagles, tie
No Omen. the a n-Horse Thief
societies and others take this mat
Ter up over hte stat and he ready
to organize shooting rlgade 10 rid
the various commuu- rs OF this
menace by setting asia, day when
eveIy member .sili ii gun and
20 lnto the G lntry Wh.u lyited By
the farmers ia DO So an at least
drive back the foreign b.eo Okla
homa farmers are tired O.. 'eed.ng
the Arkansas. Missouri aia ansas
crows.
Another thing. unless the Sd ting
method is used the farmers ing
g. put on poisoned grain and las
killing thr crows. vii vef th i.
The song '-ls and inss ea,r s
that are of such indispensable ra q
70 the rural communities in Do,
OF destroyirr pests
"I am no' fhIr 'ng for blood ai'
trying to assist ih- farmers 10 pro-
their crops ami livestock"