1 82 THE HOUSE SPARROW 



of black thread lengthwise and crosswise of the bushes, but pre- 

 ferably on each bush (Fig. 108, F) forming large irregular 

 meshes by winding the thread round the tips of branches, this so 

 annoying the birds as to ward off their attacks. This can be done 

 with great celerity by the Rolfe " Garden Webber " (" Stott " Com- 

 pany, Manchester), Fig. 108, H. The cotton unwinds as fast as 

 the stick can be passed over the bushes ten or more times as 

 quickly as by passing the cotton through the fingers. 



Bush and pyramid plum and other fruit-trees may be rough- 

 webbed with black thread similarly to currant and gooseberry 

 bushes to protect the buds from sparrows and bullfinches. 



Sprouting peas are sometimes protected by Pea Guards made of 

 | -in. diamond mesh wire-netting galvanized after made, 3 ft. 

 long, 6 in. high and 6 in. wide. In some cases mice are as 

 troublesome as sparrows, when it may be necessary to use Mouse 

 Proof Guards, the netting quarter-inch mesh. This mesh is also 

 used for protecting seeds, such as those of the rose, from the depre- 

 dations of mice, the guard being 12 in. wide and *6 in. high. 

 What is known as a Strawberry Guard a similar contrivance, but 

 with an elliptic top, longitudinal and cross stays, f -in. mesh netting, 

 6 ft. long, i ft. 6 in. wide, and i ft. high is used for pro- 

 tecting carnation " grass " from the ravages of sparrows, and also 

 utilized for keeping blackbirds from pecking ripening strawberries, 

 also for protecting rows of winter spinach, lettuces, etc., from 

 sparrows. These contrivances, however, are somewhat expensive 

 in relation to the value of the crop, and can only be indulged in 

 by persons not estimating crop value from a commercial point of 

 view, or growing from the standpoint of utility. 



For protecting blossom buds from the ravages of sparrows and 

 other bud-destroying birds, Mr. William E. Bear, a fruit-grower 

 for profit, uses the following, which he finds effective : 20 Ib. lime, 

 56 Ib. flowers of sulphur, and 75 Ib. of soft soap in 150 gallons of 

 water. The sprayings are recommended to be done so freely that 

 the trees or bushes will be well coated, as if they had been white- 

 washed with a brush. This is given as an example of the expense to 

 which fruit-growers are put in order to protect their crops prospec- 

 tively from the devastation partly, if not solely, due to toleration 

 long ago overstepped in the case of the house -sparrow. Its reduc- 

 tion, therefore, to more reasonable numbers is essential to the success- 

 ful practising of agriculture and horticulture, especially round 

 villages and hamlets where small holdings are, or are likely to be, 

 located, isolated farmsteads and holdings having the repressive 

 measures to a greater extent in their own hands, though the migra- 

 tions from town to country of sparrows in harvest time and sojourn 

 there until late in autumn is well known. Any attempt at reduc- 

 tion must be thorough and embrace the whole country. It is little 

 use killing sparrows in one locality, if they are allowed to multiply 



