Carl B. Faume

Last year our cherry trees suffered from the depredations of robins, and we lost many baskets of luscious "white hearts" in consequence. This year our trees have blossomed so luxuriantly that I have devised a simple device to scare away the marauders, and, believing that many readers of Amateur Work have a need for the same device, I herewith give a brief description of it.

I first procured a Lungen buzzer at an electrical supply house, also two coils of dry battery and some cheap No. 16 wire. Proouring a piece of sheet tinned iron, I constructed a horn shaped affair, about 12 in. long, 4 in. in diameter at the larger end and 2 in. at the smaller end. Two pieces of insulated wire were fastened to the buzzer binding posts and the buzzer then fastened securely into the horn, at the small end.

It is not desirable to have the buzzer constantly in operation in the cherry tree, as the birds will become familiar with the sound and soon have no fear of it. I therefore arranged the mechanism of an old clock so as to obtain a contact for three-fourths of a revolution of one the cog wheels, by constructing a simple interrupter and two brushes as shown in the diagram. The interruption takes place when the wipe between the brushes and metal disc is broken. In this way the buzzes are irregularly intermittent and, with two or three cells of battery in the circuit, very vigorous. It is advisable to suspend the horn by a wire in the middle branches, where the wind may cause it to swing as it buzzes. The batteries may be placed in a rain-proof box near the tree, or in the house if you have wire enough to run the line, sufficient allowance being made for loss of battery owing to the resistance of additional wiring. This device is also suitable for suspension over a strawberry bed.