From The Farm, Garden, Stable And Aviary, edited by I.E.B.C., published by Horace Cox, Strand, W.C., 1869:
Rooks, To Frighten
Place cats, tied to a long string, according to the size of the field, so that they can range about to a fair extent. They must have a basket with hay to lie in, and be well supplied with food, milk, &c., and be taken up at night. One or more cats are required for each field, according to its size, and the length of their line.
From The Farm, Garden, Stable And Aviary, edited by I.E.B.C., published by Horace Cox, Strand, W.C., 1869:
Scarecrows
No.1. The wild rabbit skin, stuffed, is a good one.
No.2. Take a wisp of hay about the size of your wrist, covered with calico, leaving two very small bits of calico to hang down on either side as wings, and then tie on a cock pheasant’s tail. This scarecrow must then be suspended from a cross-line, so that the scarecrow hangs horizontally. The most gentle air will move it to and fro, and no birds will come near it.
No.3. Dress a stick with coat and hat, which nail securely to the inside of a barrrel, the hat reaching just on a level with the barrel’s edge; place it near the hedgerows, and remove every day.
The Warminster Herald, Saturday 4 December 1858, reported:
LONGBRIDGE DEVERILL
The thirteenth Annual Meeting of the Longbridge Deverill Sparrow Club was commemorated on Wednesday evening last, at the King’s Head Inn, Crockerton.
The number of Birds killed during the past year, and the prizes awarded, were as follows:-
John Butcher, 3,690 Birds, £1 10s.;
Mr. Gad Wilton, 3,392 Birds, £1.;
Mr. John Randall, jun., 2,251 Birds, 10s.
Mr. J.H. Clifford’s extra prize of 10s. for the greatest number of hen Sparrows killed in the month of April, was won by Mr. G. Wilton, there being no less than 189 killed in the month of April, which if allowed to have lived would have made a vast increase in the feathered tribe, and supposing that each bird had three nests of young during the year, which is known to have been the case in many instances, and supposing each nest to contain 4 or 5 birds, but putting the average at 10 young birds per hen for the year, which would not be too great, would have made in that case the number to be 1,890.
The above numbers show an almost incredible increase of birds destroyed on any former year; so that the exertions of the destroyers must have been great to attain such numbers when it is taken into consideration the length of time the Club has existed.
An excellent supper was provided by Mr. Gad Wilton and gave general satisfaction, and the old English fare was done ample justice to; after which the evening was spent in a very pleasant and harmonious manner.
