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espeoially when the ground was eoft* As soon &e the rioe kernele began to 
form blftokbirde gathered in great flocks to feed on the grain and oontlnued 
to frequent the fields as long as any of the crop was exx>osed. Before the 
rioe WQS out it was dii'fioxilt to drive tlie blaokbirds out as damage result- 
ed from trami>ling the grain* After the rioe had been out and shooked Ur. 
Kelly stated that he had employed as many as fifteen men to keep the blaolo- 
birds out* Pwo or three of these were given guns and ammunition* The oth- 
ers were mounted on males and rode about after the birds oraoaing whips 
loudly to frighten them out* This method was at times very sucoesbful* Con- 
siderable damage is caused by blackbirds in fieldu that stand for some time 
after the grain has ripened* The mature heads weight the stems down and 
when blackbirds ali£^t on them to feed the stalks break down* Where lar^e 
flocks of the birds are feeding this frequently flattens down considerable 
areas of grain so that it oaimot be out* 
0* A* Dlland of Aarkham, manager of the Blue CreeA. Canal Company* 
stated he had had 6*000 aores planted In rioe this year. He stated that 
damage from blackbirds this season had been oonsiderabie* The birds began 
feeding in the fiolds when the grain was In the milk but the worst damage 
had been done to the grain after it had been shocked* in one field of Sarly 
Prolifio Hioe part was threshed soon after it was out while toe rest was 
left until a month later* Blaokbirds had been feeding lu the field in the 
meantlum and bad stripped isucb of tne grain exposed on the shooks* The 
difference in yield in the two parts of the field a.woaated to 9^ bags to 
the aore* (a bag of unhulled rioe weighd from 166 to 1^0 pounds; It con- 
tains approximately 4 bushels). 
U* H* Foster* a rloe-grower below Uarkham, stated that he had had 
