152 



ARBORICULTURE. 



reaching up a foot or eighteen inches 

 high, but mice confine their work to 

 points under cover, being protected by 

 trasli. rubbish, grass, weeds and turf. By 

 removing these there will be nothing to 

 afford them a harbor. 



Poisoned grain will destroy them if 

 their numbers justify this precaution, or 

 a few ears of grain left to supply them 

 food will prevent attacks upon the trees. 



It has long been the practice of an 

 old and successful nurseryman to place 

 shocks of corn throughout his nursery as 

 food for rabbits and mice, and thus he 

 preserves his more valuable apple and 

 other nursery stock. 



However, the most effectual remedy is 

 a campaign of education among farmers 

 for the protection of all birds, especially 

 birds of prey, against which there is such 

 unreasonable enmit>-. 



GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF 

 RAILWAYS. 



There seems to be a wave of public 

 opinion demanding control of the rail- 

 ways by Congress, which assumes forms 

 of various methods. Some have advo- 

 cated the purchase of all railways and 

 their operation by governmental employ- 

 ees. Others again simply demand control 

 of passenger rates of fare, while the more 

 popular form which this fallacy assumes 

 is the freight-rate legislation. 



The folly of building up a huge gov- 

 ernmental army of employees for the pur- 

 pose of strengthening whatever admin- 

 istration may be in power, and the per- 

 petuation of such administration, is the 

 beginning of a monarchy and the end of 

 a republican government. 



The railway transportation question, in 



a country of so large an area as the 

 United States, is full of perplexing and 

 complex problems, which demand the best 

 judgment of able managers to solve. 



Two or more lines of railway connect- 

 ing any two distant points must neces- 

 sarily vary greatly in distance traversed, 

 in character of grades and curves, and 

 also in density of population and quantity 

 of materials produced for shipment. It 

 will thus cost one line less favorably lo- 

 cated a far greater sum to operate and 

 maintain its line than it costs another 

 company which is more favorably situ- 

 ated. Yet, as there is strong competition, 

 the one line moves its trains at a loss, or 

 very small margin, while its competitor 

 may make money. 



Still, the rates must be the same, or one 

 road will be forced into idleness and con- 

 sequent loss on the capital invested by its 

 stockholders. 



C)ne commodity ma}' be purchased in 

 a certain locality, yet be consumed in i 

 region many hundreds of miles distant. 



To charge the same rate on articles 

 thus shipped for long distances as are 

 charged, proportionately, for short hauls 

 would be prohibitory, and many indus- 

 tries would thus be destroyed. 



It is bx no means a safe plan for Con- 

 gress to assume to know what rates will 

 be just and pay a fair interest upon the 

 ver\- large capital invested in railways, 

 when so few of the members of Congress 

 have any practical knowledge of railway 

 matters, or the expense of maintenance, 

 and operating of railway lines, this re- 

 quiring an intimate knowledge of railway 

 construction and business management. 



That there are excessive rates, at times 

 and under some circumstances, can not 

 be denied, but these are being corrected 

 bv the railways, and will gradually dis- 

 appear. 



