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at his extensive experimental station at Seebach. As the following 

 account is based on a study of the grounds at Seebach, it would, perhaps, 

 be as well to give a description of them. 



IV. THE EXPERIMENTAL STATION AT SEEBACH. 



(A) General Remarks. 



THE ancestral castle of the Berlepsch family, dating from the 

 12th century, stands on the estate of Seebach, in the district of 

 Langensalza, in Thuringia. On the same spot where one of his uncles 

 did excellent work for agriculture, by means of his world-renowned 

 experiments in bee-keeping, the present Baron won a similar success 

 by means of his efforts for the protection of birds, which were of such 

 importance from an agricultural point of view. 



The area which has been used for the experiments comprises about 

 500 acres, of which 19 acres are park, 60 acres are thickets (poplar 

 and willow plantations) for the birds, and 400 acres are wood. 



The park which surrounds the old castle is of great interest to 

 botanists, especially those interested in trees, because it contains 

 examples of all the trees of Central Europe. Its special value, however, 

 lies in the fact that the protection and encouragement of birds have 

 received attention everywhere, but without undue prominence, 

 in the laying out of the grounds. No one can fail to be struck by the 

 luxuriant undergrowth which thrives even where the wood is densest 

 The owner has devoted special attention to the question of how the 

 undergrowth, which is so important for bird-protection, is to be 

 obtained under trees with dense foliage, and to finding out which trees 

 are most suitable for the purpose. Bushes specially pruned for the 

 purpose, and bushes or small branches specially tied together, serve as 

 breeding-places for numerous birds that build in the open. 



The two accompanying illustrations show how the protection of 

 birds and of plants are carried out simultaneously on the estate, 

 without losing sight of the aesthetic point of view. 



The lake is inhabited by various species of water-birds, such as 

 wild ducks, moorhens, little grebes, kingfishers, etc. 



About 300 nesting-boxes hung up in the park are inhabited, without 

 exception, by various birds that build in holes. Hidden in the bushes, 

 unnoticed by those not in the secret, are traps for vermin, especially 



