Concord, Mass.
1911
June 15
(No 5)
[June 15, 1911]

Non effects of spraying on the birds.

  It is perfectly evident now that the extensive
and thorough spraying with a strong solution of arsenate
of lead (1 lb. to 5 gallons of water) which has been done
at the Farm this year has not resulted in any
harm whatever to the bird life. Nor have any of
the birds which were here before the spraying began
deserted the trees or shrubbery which they had chosen
for their summer haunts. I took a careful census
of them the day before the opening of our
campaign against the moths and watched the
results closely for nearly two weeks afterwards
without missing a single individual bird. On
returning to the place to-day, after an absence of
about two weeks (May 31-June 15) I find them
practically all in their accustomed stations. Yet the
foliage is, as I have said, literally covered with the blue gray
lead. Last year my experience was precisely the same.