A History Of Scarecrows
Scarecrows are used all around the world. The idea behind them is simple – take the form of a human to scare away birds and stop them from eating crops. But where do they come from? And who invented them?
The history of scarecrows is quite an interesting tale – one that spans thousands of years across multiple continents.
What Did People Use Before Scarecrows Were Invented?
As long as humans have farmed crops, birds have been there to peck at them. So people have always needed a way to scare them away.
Before scarecrows, farmers would use a variety of different methods as a deterrent. Some would actually hang a dead crow upside down on a pole (a method that seems barbaric today)! This was supposed to send a message to other birds that the same fate awaited them, if they ate the farmer’s crops.
Other farmers would instead use children to scare away birds. The children would use wooden clappers to make loud noises, throw rocks at birds, and even use fire to send smoke into the air as a deterrent.
It’s believed that Europeans turned to scarecrows sometime after the Bubonic Plague. This is because the plague decimated population numbers, and there simply weren’t enough children left to effectively scare birds away from farmland! Farmers began to stuff old clothing with straw and place the scarecrows in a field in the hope they’d scare away the birds.
Who Invented The Scarecrow?
The first known scarecrow was created by Egyptians thousands of years ago. Farmers hung tunics on reeds to scare quail away from their crops located along the Nile river. Other reports suggest that they constructed wooden frames, upon which they hung nets. They chased the quail towards the nets to catch and eat them.
The next reported use of scarecrows is by Greek farmers in 2,500 B.C. They carved wooden figures in the image of Priapus, a god of animal and vegetable fertility. His grotesque figure was said to scare away birds. The Priapus scarecrows were often given a club in one hand to cause fear, and a sickle in the other as an offering to the Gods, intended to ensure a good harvest.
Romans adopted the Priapus statues shortly after the Greeks invented them. As their armies moved across Europe, they introduced these strange-looking scarecrows to the local people, making them widespread across the continent.
Scarecrows Were Also Used In Japan Thousands Of Years Ago
Around the same time the Romans and Greeks started using scarecrows, farmers in Japan were doing the same thing. Many made decoys shaped like humans which they dressed in a coat and a round straw hat. They often gave them bows and arrows to make them more menacing, and therefore more effective, at scaring away birds.
Interestingly, the oldest known literary work in Japan, a book called Kojiki, features a scarecrow called Kuebiko. Kuebiko is a god shaped in the form of a scarecrow. Although unable to walk, Kuebiko knows everything about the world.
When Did People In America Start Using Scarecrows?
The history of scarecrows in the U.S.A. dates back to Native Americans. They would use scarecrows or bird scarers to protect their crops from birds. The bird scarer was typically an adult man who would move into a hut next to their cornfield during the growing season, so they could keep a watchful eye over their crops.
During the 1800s, German immigrants brought with them the “Bootzamon,” or bogeyman to America. This scarecrow was a human-like figure dressed in overalls or a long-sleeved shirt, and a woolen or straw hat. Sometimes, farmers would also place a female version, called the “Bootzafrau” or bogeywife, at the other end of the field.
By the time the Great Depression happened in 1929, scarecrows could be found all across America. However, after World War II, it became very common for farmers to dust their crops with pesticides to keep away pests and birds, so scarecrows became much less common.
Modern Scarecrows
The classic style of scarecrow is still used in many places around the world. However, they have their limitations. While they may work at first, birds typically become used to scarecrows, and fly straight past them to eat the crops they guard. This has led people to use technology in the hopes of creating more effective scarecrows.
There are a wide range of high-tech scarecrows that are available to farmers today. Inventions such as 3-D printed robotic birds that swoop and soar… drones that fly around crop fields on autopilot to scare away birds… or a sonic bird cannon that lets off loud noises to send birds flying away… technology has changed the way modern industrial farmers look at deterring birds. Of course, nets are often used as well to keep birds away, depending on the type of crop.
Many of these modern scarecrows are very expensive, making them of little use to the average homeowner with a veggie patch. As such, the humble scarecrow can still be seen in many gardens around the world.
Scarecrows In Popular Culture
Scarecrows have had a significant cultural impact throughout their history. They feature prominently in popular culture.
One of the most famous examples is the scarecrow from L. Frank Baum’s tale The Wizard Of Oz. The scarecrow is one of the main characters, who journeys along with Dorothy and the others to find the Wizard, desperately hoping to obtain brains for his body.
The scarecrow is also celebrated during numerous festivals around the world. One example is the Urchfont Scarecrow Festival in England, which was established in the 1990s. It attracts up to 10,000 people annually for the May Day Bank Holiday.
Another scarecrow festival is held in the U.S.A. in Peddler’s Village, Pennsylvania. Held from September-October, this festival features a scarecrow display that draws tens of thousands of visitors!
What’s Next In The History Of The Scarecrow?
While scarecrows play an important role in history, how common they’ll be in the future remains uncertain. Technology is advancing at a rapid rate, providing so many more effective methods for keeping birds away from crops.
At some point, it’s likely scarecrows as we currently know them will cease to exist. For now though, the scarecrow is still an important figure – not just in our gardens, but also in popular culture around the world.
https://sunandseedlings.com/history-of-scarecrows/
Thank you for the thread!
Big day at a relative’s farm this morning – the ‘meat’ chickens are being processed. I have reserved two and I’m looking forward to roasted chicken! They are raising hogs as well with a processing date of September 30 for about 12 hogs – I am fairly certain I’ll be splitting a hog with another family member. All animals are “pastured” so the chickens are on grass, eating bugs & living a good life. The pigs are in sections of pasture and rotated about every 2 weeks. I do not eat commercial chicken or pork for dietary reasons – I won’t get into the weeds on that. I am very much looking forward to when they start raising cows (grass fed/finished), which are ruminants & that is very good nutrition. The farm itself is just getting underway – these are the first two groups of animals that are being raised for processing and sale. They are working on a CSA model (community-supported agriculture) for the most part and have plenty of customers. They have chicks they’re raising for egg production and have customers lined up in advance. When the farm land purchase(s) are complete, the acreage should be around 400 acres. They just moved into their new house on the farm and have a large new barn as well. They have a large vegetable garden & lots of flowers. It’s fun watching them build a healthy farm life for themselves and their kids. With the food supply issues, they are going to be self-sustaining and for people like me, a good source of the most nutritionally dense food you can eat.
The deer have now started coming into the yard. They love the gourmet salad bar IE my mom’s beautiful hostas. We are now having to cover them at night. There is no ‘row cover’ to be had in the stores around here & we didn’t have time to order anything, so she got some stuff that looks like row cover, but you put it down over grass seed – it holds the moisture & keeps the birds from eating the seeds. It was fairly “cheap” all things considered and very lightweight so the plants are undisturbed – checked it out this morning & it looks like it’s doing the job.
Since the deer are now “invading” and not staying out in the fields, I put up my fencing around the tomatoes last night. It’s up in a temporary manner (one zip tie per corner) because I am weeding around the beds. Everything got majorly out of control this spring when I couldn’t get in the garden due to injury, so I’m just catching up. Also, the crows (a pair of them this year rather than the larger family group) are checking things out – I have baby green tomatoes on all the plants and they will steal them once they get a little bigger. I get a real kick out of watching the crows marching around the fencing, eyeing the tomatoes (or other veggies) out of reach inside the plastic mesh.
My seedlings that were on the porch (shaded) are now out in a seedling “nursery” I made out of the big old stock tank where I’ve been growing rosemary, thyme & last year, Cardinal Climbing Vine. The rosemary died over the winter & while the old thyme plant is doing great (after a major pruning), I think I’m going to try transplanting it to totally free up the stock tank. I have some pipe and electric fence posts in place to make an A-frame over the tank and I have draped row cover over it & secured it on the sides. In early spring, I’ll be able to convert the tank (¾ filled with dirt, shavings on top) into a cold frame. I just figured this all out yesterday and I’m very pleased to be using the stock tank this way. Once the seedlings are out, I can put in potted flowers that are easily removable when it’s time to use the tank as a plant nursery again.
The local Tractor Supply has cattle panels in stock – yay! I have a 14’ trailer worked out (panels are 16’) so we are picking up three tomorrow. I’m using one to make panels for tying up tomatoes & supporting peppers (bell & jalapeno) & bush beans if they need it. The other two will give me the ability to make a high tunnel over one of the raised beds and I can grow some early/late crops without worrying about frost kill.
It’s a good day today for all the reasons above. It’s cloudy with some rain showers on the way. The seedlings are watered and it’s coffee time – watching the hummers coming in for their breakfast. :-)
Luckily my little front yard garden gets shade by 4:30 or so. I also have a roll of window screen I'm going to use as shade cloth and hopefully that will prevent blossom drop on the maters and keep the Ice Queen lettuce alive and prevent bolting. I'll water every other day too and cover the few bare soil spots with more mulch to keep the soil cooler. I think this will finish off most cool weather crops though. I already pulled the komatsuna and mustard because they both started flowering and I'm not saving seeds this year. I still have plenty of everything for next planting.
Peas aren't doing much and that was something I had to start again because a rabbit ate the first batch so I'll try again next year or this fall. Going to swap the pea plants for green beans and cucumbers. Going to just interplant the seeds for now and see what happens with the peas. I've been able to have a few sugar snaps in my salads and that's about it. I lost track of which peas ended up in the ground. Looks like I ended up with 8 sugar snap and 2 lincoln.
Broccoli and cabbage are tall but no sprouts/heading. I'm going with some sort of tunnel(s) next Spring so I can start the cool weather stuff a month earlier.
Tomatoes are doing good and three plants are flowering and hopefully shade cloth, mulch and watering will get them through this heat wave. Peppers are still small and I stuck them where I had room but it's not enough sun so after the heat wave, I'll move them up front.
I started stuff from seed for the first time and got plants which was my main goal this year. I need to work on timing, tunnels and/or row covers, garden layout, succession planting and soil improvement.
I haven't mowed yet this year, just weed wacked walking paths. Going to pull some big lush weeds this morning to use as mulch. The komatsuna and mustard I pulled are now mulch. Probably top them off with leaves so they stay moist and break down faster.
Now, if it only had a brain!
The Beryozka Dance Ensemble whose steps are so small, they look like they're floating
CLICK ON A DANDELION FLOWER (POOF!)
I turned 89 a couple of weeks ago and looking forward to spending some time out in the big garden soon...
Victory garden is doing well for the most part. It's looking like the wet weather we had in May hurt a few of my tomato plants. I've given them all a good dose of fungicide and they're looking a little better now, but the jury is still out on half a dozen of them.
I did two plantings of potatoes a couple weeks apart. The later planting looks to be doing much better than the early planting. None of the plants are showing any sign of fungal disease, so probably is a result of the excessive rainfall in May. To be on the safe side I gave them all a dose of fungicide when I treated the tomatoes. Hopefully they will snap out of their funk and get on with it.
Mrs. Augie's cucumbers have begun to produce. She started three quarts of lacto-fermented pickles yesterday. Those should be the first of many to come this season. We've been eating green salad for a few weeks now. I'm hoping that putting that stuff on the shady-ish side of the garden will delay the bitterness that comes with summer heat. I noticed that quite a few of the pepper plants are starting to produce flower buds. The winter squashes are all vining like crazy and starting to make little baby squashes. Summer squash was planted out and is coming along nicely. Probably a week away from seeing blossoms on those.
In between fiddling in the garden I worked on a few other projects over the weekend. Got started removing a handful of dead trees below the pond dam. One down and mostly picked up, three still to go. The mulberry tree that came up in the garden fence not long after we built this place has been on my watch list for a couple years now. I left it alone in hopes that it was a female and would produce berries, but after ten-ish years it has become apparent that it is a male, so it's going to get whacked and will join its dead neighbors on my pile of stovewood.
I picked up a couple five-gallon pails of TWP on Saturday, and got the first coat applied to the swim dock. I'll put another coat on the deck, then circle back with a brush and get a good coat on the rim joists.
Quite a few of my seeds never germinated / sprouted indoors this spring. Cukes, watermelon, honeydew melon, “snake” gourds, eggplants. Maybe 20% of the Opo sprouted - those that did seem to be doing ok now. Tomatoes very poor. Pumpkins started fine & are taking off. Ditto cantaloupe. Zucchini ok but 2 fell over & broke (split) stems when about 1-1/2” tall. But they kept going on 1/2 of the stem and seem to be ok. Seeds were all packaged for 2022 and from “brand” companies (Livingston & Burpee).
The “starts” shelves are in an upstairs room @ a south facing window. Watering was good / soil moist but not saturated except briefly during watering’s. It may be the room got up to near 100 deg. F one day while we were away. Would that much heat for several hours kill planted (but not yet sprouted) seeds of some plants? :-(
I’ll try again with some, but with such a late start will be lucky to get produce by fall, I’m afraid...
So far, my maters have been hanging in there with the heat. Blossoms not dropping but a bit slow blossoming. Seems like just don’t open as quick as they should. Got a few tiny maters so far though and it will cool down in a few days.
Tappy’s Heritage which was the best performing seedlings are the biggest plants and there’s a mater over one inch around plus a couple more on one plant.
Rosella cherry maters which I tried starting a few years ago in a window sill with no luck are doing better this time with heat mat and grow lights. One plant has a few tiny maters that are part of a cluster of 15 or so. Excited about Rosella because they’re a dark red or purple type, similar to Cherokee purple.