center of the area to be protented. Frem this vantage the bird minder can 
see where he is shooting end direct his shots downward into the water or soft 
mud of the rice field where they will do no further harm. By using 22- 
caliber, long-rifle cartridges in place of the shotgun ammunition, this 
element of cost can be reduced to about one-fifth. The longer range of the 
rifle enables a person to patrol a larger area, and thus the cost of labor is 
reduced to about one-fourth of that ordinarily expended when the shotgun is used. 
Furthermore, tlackbirds respond more reacily to the impact of a rifle ball 
than to bird shot and are more inclined to leave the fields after a shot or two. 
In actual practice flocks of blackbirds numbering into the hundreds have been 
eriven Grom stands of rice at distances jot 600) yards. By this onecedumes mated 
minding is changed from an exhausting, nerve-racking, and often hopeless oc- 
cupation to one that under some conditions might be considered leisurely and 
comfortable. It must be emphasized, however, that rifle fire can be resorted 
to safely only in areas of large fields away from human habitations and live-— 
stock grazing. 
Ovservations of the movements and habits of the redwings of southern 
Louisiana disclosed that no flocks large enough to inflict serious damage 
appear before the first of September. At that time of year all the Early 
Prolific rice has passed beyond the milk and dough stages and, in fact, most 
of it has been shocked. In some years even the threshing and hauling of this 
strain of rice to the mills is well under way early in August. It 1s evadenp, 
therefore, that this part of the rice crop or any other equally early strain 
Will escape serious blackbird damage when in the milk and dough stages. 
Because of this 4% would seem, other things being equal, to be an advantage to 
sow only early-maturing rice in those fields that have been found particular— 
ly susceptible to blackbird attack, Offsetting somewhat the adventage thus 
gained, however, the early-maturing strains that ripen before the large flocks 
of redwings have congregated also have an early planting period that invites 
damage at sowing and sprouting time. 
Harly Seeding of Blue Rose not Advisable 
Despite advice to the contrary based on experimental work at the Crowley 
(La.) Rice Experiment Station of the U. §. Department of Agriculture and State 
Agricultural Experiment Station, many planters of the Gulf coast section begin 
sowing even the late-maturing Blue Rose variety so early that not only do low 
temperatures and cold rains frequently cause the seed to rot, but the early 
sprouts are also exposed to the attacks of the droves of blackbirds not yet 
scattered for the nesting season. Extensive cxperiments have demonstrated that 
little is gained culturally by seeding the late-maturing Blue Rose as early as 
February or March, and to do so invites early-season damage by blackbirds. ‘The 
rice grower in the zone of blackbird damage confronted with possible serious 
injury to sprouting rice sown in February and March, or even early in April, and 
to the crop in the milk and dough stages late in Ausust and early in September 
Cannot escape both possibilities by crop handling of varieties that nave a grow— 
ing period of about 140 days. He can, however, avoid much of this trouble by 
seeding his main crop of Blue Rose after the middle of April, and at the same 
time he will be at no greater disadvantage at harvest time. 
a 
