floor of each apartment will free the premises of parasites. After 

 the process of renovating is completed, and the house has been 

 well aired for two or three days, close all the openings to the 

 apartments. Where the openings are circular in form, large 

 corks may be obtained to fit them snugly, the use of which will 

 not render the appearance of the Martin house as unsightly as 

 when swathed in burlap. The burlap or canvas covering is sug- 

 gested as a material to use only when the shape of the entrances 

 will not allow the use of corks. The saving grace of the burlap 

 or canvas is, that it is easily obtained and quickly applied. 



Professional builders of Martin houses, furnish a pole that is 

 hinged at the ground-end. This arrangement allows the Martin 

 house to be tipped over and placed upon the ground, or better, 

 a carpenter's saw-horse. In this position it is readily cleaned and 

 may then be covered from the weather during the winter, and 

 again raised to position in the spring upon the arrival of the 

 Martins. In this manner the English Sparrow elimination prob- 

 lem is solved. 



The Martin house should be set up in the open and not too 

 near one's own dwelling. The midst of a wide expanse of lawn is 

 a suitable spot for this purpose. Martins like plenty of freedom 

 about their homes, so do not erect the Martin house close to trees. 

 The Martin is a bird fond of the wide expanse of farm lands and 

 fertile, flat valleys of slow flowing rivers, and is not found abund- 

 antly in hilly or mountainous country. 



Martin houses may be obtained of the following makers, all of 

 whom are recommended as builders of thoroughly practical domi- 

 ciles for the Purple Martin : The Audubon Bird-House Company, 

 Meriden, New Hampshire; Joseph H. Dodson, 1200 Associa- 

 tion Building, Chicago, Illinois; Jacobs Bird House Company, 

 Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. 



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