CORRESPONDENCE BIRDS AND FRUIT.

Southland Times, Issue 16840, 16 September 1911, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

BIRDS AND FRUIT.

(To the Editor). Sir.—in the course of his remarks at the recent fruit spraying exhibition held in Invercargill, the Uev. T. Harrington drew attention to the ravages the small birds were making on fruit trees, currant hushes an 1 gooseberries, but especially on p'uir. trees. Tire Uev. gentleman stated that his plum trees, winch showed groat promise of fruit, had been totally destroyed, as far as fruit was concerned, for the season, by the buds being nipped off by the small birds. 'While it was commendable for iho Government to cope wbh the insect pest by showing the proper methods of spraying the trees, lie considered it was equally necessary to check the ravages of the small birds wnich were almost as bail as the other pests. Ho staled the County Council Pits doing good service in the countin' by using poisoned grain but in addition to this he considered some concerted action was rer,uired in the town to cope with the small bird nuisance. My experience. 1 might say, accords with that of the speaker referred to, and 1 think it is high time that something was done to abate, if not to eradicate the nuistance referred to. The thanks of community are due to the Rev. Air Harrington for referring to Hi is matter publicly, and it is in the hope that it will stir up some interest in the matter that I bring the subject again before your readers. If it excites discussion, us I hope it will, which will lead to the lessening if not to the total destruction, of these garden and orchard pesis my letter will not have been written in vain. Thanking you in anticipation. I am, etc., I. SMITH, Invercargill, 15th Sept