Science: Strictly for the Birds

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After selling baubles and fancy fabrics to the world's theaters for more than a century, Dazian's Inc. is seldom surprised when strange uses are discovered for its merchandise. When its twisted metallic streamers, designed to decorate theater marquees, blossomed on the nation's highways as filling-station art, the stolid firm took it as a matter of course. Then a Middle Western mechanic reported that for the first time he was able to harvest a full crop from the strawberry patch next to his filling station. He gave all the credit to sunlight glinting off the bright streamers and frightening marauding birds.

Amazed at last, Dazian's checked with a long list of agricultural experiment stations. As a result, farmers getting ready for spring planting will be able to order the Spirolum Whirlers from a Sears. Roebuck catalogue. Enthusiastic users claim they will even put gophers and field mice to flight.