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at the Agri-cultural Elxperiment Station under the leadership of Dr. R. E, Trippensee 

 of "iild Life, as well as through the efforts of the Massachusetts Auduhon Society 

 it is anticipated that more exact information will tecome available concerning 

 the species of birds involved- Research on control methods will "be the next step 

 in solving this complex and exasperating problem. 



Control methods currently available appear to be limited chiefly to two types: 

 (i) screening and (2) noise makers. Screening, particularly with second hand tobacco 

 cloth, cheese cloth or similar material is probably the most satisfactory method for 

 the home gardener to employ. Protection will probably be more complete if the 

 screening does not touch any of the ripening fruit. Birds will peck through and 

 may soon open holes large enough to gain entrance where the screening is touching 

 or very close to the fruit. 



For the commercial grower two types of noise makers v'ill be available this 

 summer, both of which have been found to be quite satisfactory against starlings 

 and moderately so against grackles and robins, 



1. Firecrackers . Work in several northeastern states has indicated the use- 

 fulness of firecrackers. attached to slow burning fuse-rope. The preparation and 

 use of the rope firecracker device is described in Wild Life Leaflet #365 issued by 

 the U. S. Fish and Vfild Life Service and may be obtained from any office of that 

 Borvlce. The bill sponsored by the Massachusetts Farm Bureau, the Massachusetts 

 Fruit G-rowers' Association and ether organizations to permit the use of firecrackers 

 for the protection of farm crops has been pasred by the G-eneral Court, signed by 

 the governor and vje imder stand it is to become effective about the middle of June. 

 Mr. Wesley Jones, U. S. Fish and Wild Life Service, Amherst plans to issue a release 

 to County Agents soon. In the meantime it is quite certain that a permit will have 

 to be obtained from your local Fire Chief before you can purchase firecrackers even 

 for such farm use and remember firecrackers are dangerous exploBlvee to handle and 

 store on the farm. 



2. Carbide Exploders . Noise makers which operate on gas generated by the 

 action of water on calcium carbide have been on the market for many years. Most 



of them have a single explosion chamber, however, a very few have two non-synchronized 

 explosion chambers. In limited tests made at the University last summer the non- 

 synchronized double-chamber type of carbide exploder gave the best control of birds 

 in cherries and blueberries. As a matter of fact 1955 was the first time for many 

 years that we were able to harvest any ripe sweet cherries for class use without 

 the use of tobacco cloth cages. 



Unfortunately most of these carbide exploders cost from $50. to $75. each and 

 in an orchard will probably not be effective over an area of more than one to two 

 acres. Rather regular cleaning and a little adjusting is necessary to keep them 

 in operation. However, the cost of carbide on which to operate is only about $0(^ 

 per day or about one-third the cost of firecrackers to do the same job. 



With either type of noise making it is important to have the devise in operation 

 early and late as well as durihg the normal working hours. Birds recognize nothing 

 less than a dawn to dusk day. 



Information on sources of equipment and supplies for noise making devices may 

 be had from your County Agricultural Agent or the Pepartment of Pomology, University 

 of Massachusetts, Amherst. 



A. P. French 



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