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efficient for the purpose, as well as the most economical and lasting method known of.

In September, 1917, the Fish and Game Commission prepared and forwarded 600 circular letters to the Pacific Rice Growers' Association for distribution among the growers informing them of the experiments undertaken and citing instances showing how it was possible to obtain relief at a minimum of cost and effort. Those who took advantage of this method speak in high praise of the plan. Gingg and Cooper, who farm about 400 acres near Live Oak, lost nearly 90 acres of their rice in 1916 by blackbirds, mudhens and ducks. They expended several hundred dollars for shotgun shells, obtaining very little relief by this method. They were the first to use the bombs which were manufactured for the purpose. When the bombs were received there were many thousands of ducks and other birds in their rice fields. After using less than four dozen of the bombs, at a cost of $5.00 per dozen, they report not a bird to be seen and a full crop of rice, with no loss. This demonstrates the effectiveness of this method of protecting crops at any time, not only from ducks, but have proven effective in frightening away deer and other animals from orchards at night. The persons using this method complain of being unable to secure any ducks for their own use.

Some persons, obviously for personal reasons, demanded that the season open for ducks September 1st or 15th. Even if this date was not contrary to the Federal Regulations and State laws protecting water fowl, we failed to see how it would give relief. Should the season open on that date the ducks would be driven back and forth from the shooting grounds to the rice fields, whereas