The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-12-04
Birtl-Scarine.

"Why don't you scare the birds away p
says not only one friend but many TO ME
when l show them my ptums, my apples
and pears, picked hero and there long be-
fore they arc ripe, just as taste Of one and
then another, but enough to spoil the fruit,
and prevent their growing or keeping. 1t
is vexing-very vexing, l say; but how
am l to scare them2 And if l 10, l
frighten away also the very birds want to
come, as well as those do not. Then 1t
is most difficult to scare when you have a
MOOD Oh two sides of your garden. which
is also crowded with shrubs, besides the
fruit-trccs, the latter being either close TO-
gcther or growing as ornaments among the
shrubs and flowers. Then there are 200 or
more in al orchard that does not quite join
the garden, but also have a wood on two
sides.
"ilavc a boy" said my friend. "Let
him have watchman's rattle, and make
him go about with it. Thatll scare
them"
''Possiby it might" l rejoin. for q
while, perhaps week, but not more and
only think Of the noise Of the rattle pcrpct-
ually going from morn to night close to
your house, and another joining chorus,
or rather making duct, from the orchard.
1t would be just rs unpleasant for myself
and friends as for the birds. Besides, the
boy will not come until seven IN the morn
ing, and then 60 at six In the evening. II
would be before aud after those hours tho
birds would do the mischief; they would
watch him come and 60 even to his meals !;
and, besides, Ia day or two they would
get 80 used to the sound that they would
scarcely fly before him"
"No!" said my friend, "not they"
"But II has been tricd,'' say |, land
does not answer"
swell, there are plenty of other means, "
| get in reply.
''Namo thcm," say l.
''l'ic scarlet worsted about tho trees YOU
want to save"
on strings will do for while, and 30 on :;
looking glass, instead of frightening, at
tracts some BIRDS"
''Ahl WE'LL" says my friends, "lt's all
nonsense IL can he done if you like; but
tie fact ls you don't care and don't try,
that's il"
you arc wrong," say I. "Comc and
SIT here in the shade, and l will tell you q
few attempts to frighten the birds. Awhile
ago friend of mine had cherry-tree full
OF cherries. They were fine and good; 81,
to preserve them from the birds, he put Il
bell up in the tree, and brought a string
through the window of his bedroom that
was tied to the bell, 80 thut curly in the
morning he could ring the bell rs he waa
lying in bed. The first and second morn
ings the effect on the birds was MI that
could be desired; the third he pulled at
the string, and found the bell did not sound
well; SO he got up to look, and there, sit
ting on the bell, was n magpie, trying with
difficulty to balance himself as the bell was
pulled to and fro! In three mornings the
birds had got used to the scare"
Another ono will tell you. Mr.. Brock,
OF the Crystal Palace, gave me some Japa-
nese kites; very curious figures they were.
These, | thought, would scare the birds If
flown occasionally. | took them home,
and on the following day flew one, and
when 1t was about fifty yards up, or there
abouts, the birds came far and near TO OBJ
serve it; larks III particular, also swallows
and martins--round about the kite they
and others flew, gong close to 1t chirping
and twittcring, quite throng Of them; l
should say there were forty or more all to-
gctllcr. After short time, by ones, by
tWos and threcs, they went away. low
cred my kite (Which, by the way, repre-.
sentod Japanese LADY, anu put it away.
~ few days after visitor from London
came, and, walking around The garden,
said, i will show you a curious sight pro
scntly.' 80 got out my kite, and away
IL went, higher ana higher. lot out all
my string, but never bird camu to look ut
lt-not one. l was nstonishcd. My friend
looked at the kite for short time, and
then said, Il don't sec anything in particu-
lar IN that mo, said l., but do Then
l told him how the birds swarmcd about
1t when | flew it before, and | expected
they would again. But no such thing; in
one flight they had got used to 1t, and were
neither frightened nor cared about 1t IN
any way. Nor did they afterwards, when
again tried another Japanese tigurc-not
one came to see 1t. Again, have put
clothes stuffed With straw, representing a
man, up i'll the garden to scare the jays.
dolng out early on the third morning after
one was fixed, [ saw a Jay sitting on the
hat of the figure with some green pca-pods,
enjoying them in most contcntcd way.
No, my friend, have never yet found
any 'bird-scare' answer for more than three
days, and seldom 30 long. Trying to scare
birds is one thing, dong IT Is another, and,
as rule, you do more harm than good, for
you frighten ths more timid, such as the
warblcrs, from doing you the good, while
the bold, such as black birds, jays, etc.,
are not deferred. So think your idea of
soaring is not Of much use."
'Well," said my friend, rising, "what
do you do2"
''Net the trees and the Strawberries
where can, and lot the others take their
chance. Losing the fruit Is not 50 bad as
losing the birds. A bushcl or two Of fruit
spoilt is not SO difficult to bear with as
Whole trees dcnudcd of bloom-buds."
Here my friend looked at his watch.
''l&sar mol" said he, 81 shall lose tho
train, " and he made tor tho garden gate
with more than hi, accustomed speed !; and
just as he passed through said gently to
him
'i our watch is little slow, think"
"Al," said he, and away he ran. ~
''Thats q scaro,' said to myself, as I
sauntcrcd up tho pathway to tho house;
"but, like those for thc'brds, it wont last
long,"
Musical Griticisni.