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So, in some cases, the growers have to tesort to poisoning. They scatter 

 poisoned lettuce seed along the rows hothered "by the larks. And speairing of larks, 

 fanners sometimes have trouble with another so-called lark, though not a closely 

 related "bird — and that's the meadowlark. 



In the Carolinas, as in certain other places, meadowlarks often pull up 

 sprouting corn. Bat the Carolina farmers find if they plant the corn about k inches 

 deep the meadowlarks won't take the trouble to dig it out. Four inches may sound 

 a little deep. And it is, .But, in light, sandy, soil, the corn seems to come up 

 from that depth without any trouble. 



I might go ahead and tell you about a great many other ways to keep birds 

 in check when the birds destroy farm crops. But those examples show you how 

 farmers and bird men are meeting the problem. However, I want to give you one 

 important nev/ idea about bird-control work in general. 



You remember, the bird men used to say, "If you have malberries and other 

 favorite natural foods near your orchard, or truck patch, the birds will tend to 

 eat the mulberries and other natural foods and let your cherries, and strawberries, 

 and other crops alone." But McAtee tells me the work in ilew York, and California, 

 and other parts of the country has definitely exploded that old idea. The natural 

 foods DO NOT alv/ays lessen the damage to cultivated crops. On the contrary, the 

 natural foods may attract more birds to the neighborhood of j^our orchard, or 

 garden, or berry patch, and increase your losses. 



That discovery ties right in with the California vegetable growers' experi- 

 ence with horned larks. The larks do the most damage to vegetables where you find 

 the vegetable fields surrounded by weeds where the larks feed, and dust, and scratch. 



So, if the birds get especially troublesome to a certain crop, look around 

 and see if you find natural food or shelter. You may be able to solve the bird 

 problem by doing away v/ith a few things that attract the birds, 



VJhen that and other preventive measures fail, a farmer may have to kill a 

 few crows, or starlings, or other birds in self-defense. But bear in mind that a 

 great many of our birds are protected by State or Federal laws, or both. Find out 

 about the law and get a permit before you kill any birds. And if you thinlc you 

 have to kill birds on a large scale, call on the bird men of the United States 

 Biological Survey for help. They will look into your problem and give you the 

 benefit of their experience in solving it. 



But just this final word in closing. Hemember, birds save us millions and 

 millions of dollars every year through destruction of insect pests. Don't be too 

 hasty to condemn them if they happen to damage a crop here and there. If a valu- 

 able cow broke into your garden some night, you wouldn't shoot her; you'd simply 

 try to keep her from repeating the damage. Likev/ise, if birds damage a crop, don't 

 needlessly kill them. Try to prevent the damage in some other way, 



— ooOoo — 



CLOSIl^TG- Al~iTOUNCEI^UT t And that concludes today's visit with Uncle Sam's Naturalists 

 of the United States Biological Survey, We'll have another iJaturalist talk for you 

 at this same time two weeks from tods^y,. 



•)f * * 



