No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 569 



"WHAT IS THE BEST METHOD TO PREVENT MICE FROM 



GIRDLING TREES?" 



PROF. SURFACE. — The subject of preventing mice from eating 

 trees is one of great importance because thousands of trees are lost 

 by mice in this State and I know of one fruit grower in Cumberland 

 county who lost $2,000 worth of young trees, 5 or 6 years old, last 

 winter. 



I could at this time mention 20 suggested remedies but shall refer 

 to only a few of the best. 



In the lirst place, remove the cause of the trouble. That is the 

 grass, weeds and rubbish on the ground. They are attracted by 

 this material in which they find both food and concealment, and 

 which should be removed most carefully in the fall, or better, the 

 orchard should be so cultivated that there will be no accumulation 

 of vegetation on the ground around the trees in winter. 



Second. Mice feed almost wholly beneath the snow and generally 

 only when there is snow on the ground, consequently one of the 

 best measures is to pack the snow around the trunk of the trees, 

 as they will not burrow through the ice pack thus formed and will 

 not come on top of the trampled snow to feed. 



The chief pest is the short-tailed meadow mouse or Vole. It feeds 

 almost entirely upon vegetation. Its enemies are the owls, hawks, 

 especially the red tail hawk, the screech owl and the black snake, 

 especially during the summer and the latter part of the year. 



These enemies to the mice should be preserved as they have no 

 obnoxious habits. It is important to suppress all such pests by 

 encouraging and preserving the natural enemies that are at work 

 on them at all times of the year. 



A direct remedy for this pest consists in tying bands of wire 

 cloth, once or twice around the trees extending down beneath the 

 ground and to the heighth of about two feet. 



Another good remedy is to mound the trees to the height of at 

 least a foot in the fall before the ground freezes and the mice will 

 not come out to feed on top of the mound. 



A third practical remedy is tramping the snow. 



The fourth consists in poisoning them with any kind of poisoned 

 food that they will eat. 



A fifth, which is a prevention to both mice and rabbits, is to paint 

 the trunks of the trees with white lead and linseed oil, which is also 

 a preventive against borers. 



Mr. Tyson has made some extensive experiments in painting trees 

 with this material and he reports good success. I should be glad 

 if he would give this audience the results of his work along this line. 



MR. TYSON. — Two years ago we painted 150 trees as an experi- 

 ment, using pure white lead and linseed oil. Results were favorable 

 and one year ago we painted the balance of our orchard, 6,000 trees. 

 Of these, 3 were girdled and a few were gnawed a little, but no 

 apparent damage was done, and treea are doing well. The paint 

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