244 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



marshes where muskrats are plentiful. If the winter should be long and 

 severe and the snow deep hundreds of these trees are liable to be partially 

 or wholly girdled before spring. If this injury is to be avoided fall is 

 the time to do it. There are several different kinds of material used to 

 protect the bark of young trees from such creatures, such as tar paper, 

 wood veneer, wire mosquito netting, galvanized wire netting (four 

 meshes to the inch), wire coils and pieces of cornstalks. All have their 

 merits and defects. 



The wood veneer or tar paper protectors can be secured in large 

 quantities at from three.quartes to a cent apiece, and they are very 

 good. They not only protect the trees from the mice, rabbits, etc., but 

 they also protect the trunk of the trees from sun and cold, and this is 

 a serious trouble on south or southwestern slopes, especially in Northern 

 Michigan. These should be removed in the spring, however, as they 

 often harbor insects and fungi, which may do harm to the bark. If left 

 on all summer they may also shade the trunk enough to make the bark 

 tender and more liable to winter freezing or attacks of fungous diseases. 



The wire mosquito netting or galvanized wire netting protectors are 

 more expensive, costing about 3 cents apiece when bought by the roll 

 and cut up at home. They can be secured in various widths, from a foot 

 and a half up to suit conditions, but this is largely overcome by their 

 durability and effectiveness. They have all of the merits of the wood 

 veneer or tar paper and do not make the bark tender or harbor the 

 injurious insects and fungi. It would hardly seem possible for them 

 to prevent sun scald, but they seem to diffuse the sun's rays so that 

 they do no harm on warm January and February days. 



The butts of cornstalks may be used if no other material can be 

 secured, but they do not last long and are difficult to bind on. 



In putting on the tar paper or veneer fine wire or strong, durable 

 string should be used, one near the bottom and on« near the top, 

 so tied that they run through a notch or hole so that they will not 

 slip down and the protector fall over and blow away. Wood veneer 

 protectors must also be soaked in water to prevent their cracking 

 when being put on. The wire netting protection may be put on with 

 wire bands or wire hooks such as hog nose rings or something simi- 

 lar, and then they can be easily put on and taken off. In many cases 

 it would be well to mound up the ground slightly around the trees 

 and then push the tree protector into this mound a little to help hold 

 it firmly in place. 



Maiiy orchardists may think these protectors are a nuisance and 

 unnecessary expense, but often they save trees worth many times the 

 outlay. 



