ENEMIES OF CONIFEROUS TREES 281 



ravages, large numbers of oak, chestnut, and holly 

 being barked, and in some instances killed out- 

 right by the attack. 



In Wales a young plantation of larch suffered 

 greatly from rats biting off the leading shoots, 

 which were carried in hundreds to their holes close 

 by. Conifers growing by a lake or pond side are 

 sometimes attacked, and in certain instances large 

 breadths of the bark have been stripped off by 

 these rodents. We have seen the scarlet oak, 

 white poplar, purple beech, Atlantic Cedar, and 

 three other coniferous trees barked by rats along 

 a stream-side in northern Ireland. Trapping or 

 poisoning is to be recommended in such cases. 

 Both rats and mice attack seed-beds and destroy 

 seedling plants. Mixing the seeds, before being 

 sown, with a small quantity of white lead, i lb. 

 to 10 lbs. of seed, will ward off attacks. 



Regarding the attacks of red deer, hares, and 

 rabbits, little need be said except that these 

 animals are most injurious to young plantations, 

 from which they should be shut out by means of 

 wire -netting or other fencing, according to the 

 circumstances of the case. 



In park and paddock horses injure trees by 

 gnawing the bark and branches. The stems of 

 attacked trees should at once be protected by 

 suitable wood or iron fencing. Wire-netting, if 

 placed tightly around the trunk, will offer some 

 protection ; but there is danger of the horses' 

 shoes getting entangled in the meshes, especially 

 when the netting is brought too near to the ground. 

 Several compositions, such as tar, creosote, and 

 carbolineum, have been recommended as pre- 



