Part II.] FOOD PLANTS. 207 



Other Means of Protecting Fruit. 



Birds eat fruit not only for food but for the juices, which 

 often serve to take the place of water in dry weather. A 

 drinking fountain or a brook close at hand may serve to take 

 some of their attention from the fruit. Newly turned sod also 

 may attract robins and some other birds away from fruit, as 

 they seem to prefer worms and grubs. A fertile, well-watered 

 lawn sometimes answers the same purpose, as it keeps the 

 earthworms near the surface where the robins can find them. 



As a last resort, where one has but one or two cherry trees 

 and no room for experiments, the trees may be covered with a 

 fine-meshed fish net, but birds may become entangled in the 

 net. 



Plants for the Seashore. 



Mr. McAtee in his excellent bulletin (621) gives the follow- 

 ing hints regarding plants for attracting birds at the seaside: — 



Where the coast is rocky and the soil of ordinary character, conditions 

 are little different from those inland, and except in relation to exposure 

 there need be no especial preference given in the choice of plants. It is 

 worth mentioning, however, that several trees and shrubs are better 

 adapted to withstand the winds so prevalent on the coast. These include 

 three species of juniper (Juniperus communis, J. horizontalis and /. vir- 

 giniana), common barberry, English thorn, hybrid crab apple, European 

 and American mountain ashes, smooth and staghom sumacs, privets, 

 buckthorn and red-berried elder. Where the soil is chiefly sand, and that 

 often shifting, conditions are not suited to many plants. Selection may 

 be made, however, from the following, all of which are known to thrive 

 in such surroundings: — 



For Seed Eaters. — Beach grass (Ammophila arenaria and Calamovilfa 

 longifolia), Polygonum sachalinense and sunflower. 



For Fruit Eaters. — Bayberry (Myrica cerifera), sea buckthorn (Hip- 

 pophae rhamnoides), sand cherry {Prunus pumila or P. cuneata), beach 

 plum {Prunus maritima), cranberries and bearberry {Arctostaphylos uva- 

 ursi). 



How TO Plant. 



Inexperienced planters are likely to fail even if provided 



with excellent plants or seeds. The common plan of sticking 



seeds into little holes in the sod or leaf mold is foredoomed to 



failure, as only a very small percentage of the seeds ever sue- 



