Evening star., 1934-03-05
Starlings' Spring Hop North
Will Be Their s@Last R0llnd-Up"
Planning Rude, if Not
Fatal, Reception for Capitals
Feuthered Pests.

They don't know It yet, but quite
few local starlings will be headin'
for their last roundup when they
wend their way toward Canada this
year with the coming Of the Spring.
Previous experience tells the little
fellows they'll fly North to feast in
green pastures. fruitful orchards and
ripening vineyards welcome con-
trast after wintering in the city.
Happy landings, boys" they'll
twitter on the Capitol dome and the
city's facades. Spring is here-were
off"
But up in Canada they're prepar-
ing a reception for the hungry visit
ing swarms rude enough to jolt them
loose from a whole shower OF tail
feathers
Millions Flock to Canada.
For years Canada tolerated the
birds. Each Spring they returned,
nesting in millions along the 100
mile power line from Niagara to To-
ronto, spreading over the Niagara
Peninsula and the west shore OF
Lake Ontario and taking heavy toll
of peach and cherry orchard, grain
| field and vineyard.
This year, farmer and city dweller
alike, alarmed by the increasing num-
bers of the birds, have risen to cry,
"enough" Less sentimental than the
| Americans perhaps. or at least more
sorely tried. the Canadians plan to
war on the starllngs with shotgun
1 and tran gas and pOiSOn.
War to Death.
The Ontario governments Depart
ment of Agriculture has declared war
to the death on the pests this Spring.
Farmer and city man will join efforts
to stamp out the migratory swarms
| by destroying nesting places and
eggs, screening city roostlng places
and shooting and poisoning as many
birds as possible.
! In cooperation with the depart
ment. the Ontario Agricultural Col
lege in Guelph conducted survey
of the startling situation which made
out strong case against the feath-
cred pests.
College Recommendations.
The following recommendations
were made for elimination Of the
| nuisance:
| To show all fruit growers and farm
ers interested in the control OF the
starting how to prevent successful
/ Matching on their own premises.
To have opening in church belfries,
towers and water towers where star
| lingS are known to nest, covered with
wire netting.
To have all insulation tubes on
| hydro o-transmission lines where star
| lings are known to nest, so fixed as to
make it impossible for the birds to
nest there.
To have all village, town and city
buildings that harbor brooding star
lings always under observation. with
a view to destroying the birds and
| their eggs, or their young.
To locate all roosting places in the
open country. and to destroy the
birds by night with gas, where that
may safely be used.
Trap the Pests.
In places where number Of star
lings gather for night roosting near
dwellings, to try trapping, netting wa
ter power, shooting or whatever proves
to be most effectual where poison
gas may not be safely used.
In Winter time to encourage every
Township Council interested in the
control Of the starting to construct
one or more traps in time to COM
mence trapping by December /.
To control backyard feeding of
starlings as completely as is possible,
except in selected places where trap
ping is to be carried on.
To have all garbage burned or