GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 



89 



An application of a thick white wash (made by slaking quick 

 lime in water) rendered a deep blue by the addition of a blue-stone 

 (blue vitrol) solution appears to be a good repellant for both mice 

 and rabbits. We have personally used this, and have known of 

 nurserymen making use of it with success. It should be applied 

 late in the fall and it would do no harm to make a second applica- 

 tion during the winter if possible. This could be applied with a 

 brush or with a spray and nozzle used for whitewash. The latter 

 method would be preferable in treating shrubbery, and perhaps also 

 rows of nursery trees, insuring more rapid and probably more 

 thorough work. The now well-known commercial lime sulphur 



Fig. 61. The Common Cotton-tail. 



spray, (one part stock solution, 10 parts water) used as a dormant 

 spray is also very useful as a preventive of attacks of rodents, both 

 rabbits and mice. 



Mechanical guards of various kinds are absolutely reliable and 

 we figure several from an excellent bulletin issued by the Ohio Sta- 

 tion. These may be of paper (the writer has used successfully sev- 

 eral thicknesses of newspaper) securely tied on and extending a few 

 inches below the surface. Rabbits have been known, however, to 

 tear off paper wrappings under extreme conditions. We would ad- 

 vise against the use of tarred paper in this connection and of course 

 all such coverings, except perhaps wire screen, should be removed 

 in the summer. More durable are the guards of wood veneer, and 



