PROTECTION OF FRUIT. 65 



Further evidence of the attractive qualities of the mulberry is given 

 by Dr. A. K. Fisher, who states that at his home in southern New 

 York, a dark fruited, juicy Russian mulberry was a favorite food of 

 a number of birds. Robins, catbirds, cedar birds, orioles, and to a 

 less extent several other fruit-eating -birds, fed by preference on mul- 

 berries, and rarely attacked cultivated cherries, which were abundant. 

 In fact, as the period of mulberry ripening extended beyond the time 

 of cherry harvesting, the more valuable fruit was almost completely 

 protected from the depredations of birds. 



The efficacy of the mulberry as a protection to cultivated fruits is 

 fully confirnied also in a bulletin of the North Carolina Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, which is exclusively devoted to the subject of 

 mulberries : " 



They serve an excellent purpose near cherry trees and on strawberry planta- 

 tions in attracting birds away from these fruits. As long as there are ripe 

 mulberries close at hand, the other fruit will suffer very little from birds. 



Such being the case, the several varieties of mulberries, on account 

 of their great fruitfulness and the long bearing season, are well 

 adapted to the protection of a wide range of fruit crops, including 

 many of the later as well as the earlier ripening fruits. 



Among other species valuable for the same purpose are certain in- 

 edible cherries. Mr. H. W. Henshaw informs the writer that a single 

 tree of small sour cherries afforded almost complete protection to sev- 

 eral trees of very fine cultivated cherries on the place of Mr. Joseph 

 Pajlmer, near Washington. At the time a visit was made to this place, 

 catbirds, robins, and orioles were abundant, and surprise was ex- 

 pressed that the crop of cherries was not molested. Pointing out a 

 volunteer cherry tree, Mr. Palmer said : " There you see the reason ; 

 the birds will not touch the large cultivated cherries when the small 

 ones are to be had." 



Examination of this tree was made during the present year (1907). 

 It proves to be the Mahaleb or Saint Lucie cherry {Prunus mahaleb). 

 The 1907 crop of all kinds of cherries was very small, but as far as 

 could be dete^rmined under the circumstances, the Mahalebs were pre- 

 ferred. In five minutes the writer noted in this tree 2 brown thrash- 

 ers, 1 jay, 1 bluebird, 1 cedar bird, 1 kingbird, and 3 catbirds. All ate 

 the fruit greedily. It appears that the birds must have cherries, 

 though not the best varieties necessarily. Hence some such species as 

 the Mahaleb is likely to afford more efficient protection than any other 

 kind of fruit. It ripens with the cultivated cherries in this latitude 

 and is very prolific, and since it is extensively imported for graft- 

 ing stock it should be obtainable at low rates. The European bird 



<» H. Hume and F. C. Keimer, No. 194, 1906, p. '56. 



