354 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. No. 4. 



their time on the lawn. Possibly the watering of the lawn 

 had brought the worms to the surface, and so furnished the 

 robins with food which they preferred to the cherries. The 

 experiment of planting for the birds a row of soft, early 

 cherries of the Governor Wood variety along one side of the 

 cherry orchard was tried by Mr. G. T. Powell of New York. 

 He writes that he has bird cherries by the bushel to spare, 

 and that the birds are working on them, and leaving un- 

 touched his choice varieties, such as Montmorenci and Rich- 

 mond. These he sells at an extra price, because they are 

 entirely uninjured; while his neighbors, who have not pro- 

 vided for the birds, are forced to sell their imperfect cherries 

 at a discount. 



As a last resort, where one has few trees and no room for 

 mulberries, the cherry trees may be covered with a fine fish 

 net while the fruit is ripening. 



EDWARD HOWE FORBUSH, 



State Ornithologist. 



