80 



THE GAME BREEDER 



MORE GAME AND FEWER CATS 



[The following was sent by the Commissioners on Fisheries and Game of Massachusetts. 

 The Massachusetts Commission is quite up-to-date. It encourages the breeding of all species' of 

 game under permits which cost nothing. — Editor.] 



The nesting season for the wild birds 

 has arrived, and the commissioners on 

 fisheries and game once more call at- 

 tention to the necessity of keeping the 

 family cat in control during the lime 

 the eggs are being hatched and the 

 fledgings are helpless, either in the nest 

 or when first on the ground. 



It is a matter of common knowledge 

 that on the activities of the insect-eating 

 birds depends, in a large measure, the 

 success of the crops and the preserva- 

 tion of the forests. 



It is not so well known how enormous 

 are the inroads on the wild birds by the 

 family cat and the abandoned, hunting 

 house cat. Often the owners honestly 

 believe their cats to be innocent of the 

 practice of killing birds, because the 

 work is not done where they can see it. 



Careful studies on this subject have 

 been made, and the results are surpris- 

 ing. One cat, which was watched care- 

 fully, was seen to kill 58 birds in a 

 single season. 



Assuming that the average cat on the 

 farm kills but ten birds a year, and that 

 there are two cats on each farm in 

 Massachusetts, we have, in round num- 



bers, 70,000 cats killing 700,000 birds 

 annually. And this does, not take into 

 account the cat population of cities, 

 towns and villages. Song and insec- 

 tivorous birds are sociable. They breed 

 to a large extent in thickly settled com- 

 munities. It is here that cats get in 

 their deadliest work. 



These figures tell their own story. 



The commissioners appeal to every 

 person who owns a cat to make it a per- 

 sonal matter to see that the family pet 

 is not permitted to roam at large in the 

 day or night during this crucial period 

 when the success of the hatch of birds 

 depends on the freedom they have from 

 molestation. 



The season extends from May 15 to 

 August 15. 



Over the weather conditions, which 

 may reduce the number of the hatch, we 

 have no control ; but this other danger 

 can be minimized if every one will make 

 an effort to do his or her part. The 

 birds can be depended on to do theirs. 



Every bird lover is asked to see that 

 homeless and wild hunting house cats are 

 humanely killed. 



HOW TO MAKE A DUCK POND. 



By C. B. McGee 



Any one interested in making a pond 

 for wild ducks should know that the use 

 of dynamite is the best and cheapest 

 way to remove the dirt for making the 

 hole to fill with water. 



I think it best to make the pond where 

 there is running water, as pure water is 

 much better than a* pool of stagnant or 

 filthy water. 



Dynamite will remove stone or stumps 

 or any obstructions, and you can make 

 the pond any place that is suitable. 



I would place a charge of about three 

 sticks of Du Pont Red Cross Extra 40 

 per cent, dynamite in the center of the 

 place I wished to make the pond. The 

 force of the explosive will remove the 

 dirt to start the pond. 



There was some stone in the dirt in 

 the place shown in the photograph 1 

 send you, but the explosive did a nice 

 job. 



After placing your center shot, place 

 about six charges of about two sticks. 



