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XL VII. On the employment of Cats in the preservation of Fruit 

 from Birds. By Peter Kendall, Esq. F. H. S. In a Letter 

 to the Secretary. 



Read November 6, 1832. 



Dear Sir, 



I beg leave to communicate to the Society an easy method of pre- 

 serving fruit trees and gardens from the depredations of birds, as 

 adopted by my friend Robert Brooke, Esq. of Melton Lodge, near 

 Woodbridge, in this county ; which plan I saw in full operation a 

 short time ago, and which he assures me he has adopted for several 

 years with the most complete success. He has four or five Cats, 

 each with a collar, and light chain and swivel, about a yard long, 

 with a large iron ring at the end ; as soon as the Gooseberries, 

 Currants, and Raspberries begin to ripen, a small stake is driven 

 into the ground, or bed, near the trees to be protected, leaving 

 about a yard and half of the stake above ground ; the ring is 

 slipped over the head of the stake, and the cat thus tethered in 

 sight of the trees, no birds will approach them. Cherry trees and 

 wall fruit trees are protected in the same manner as they succes- 

 sively ripen ; each cat, by way of a shed, has one of the largest 

 sized flower pots laid on its side, within reach of its chain, with 

 a little hay or straw in bad weather, and her food and water placed 

 near her. 



I think the manner of fastening the cat may be improved, so that 

 one cat might protect a considerable distance of wall or walk, by 

 having two iron posts, fixed in the ground, with a cord or wire 

 attached to them and passed through the ring of the cat's chain ; 



