154 TREE WOUNDS AND DISEASES 



known whole plantations by a river-side to 

 suffer from stem barking, and trees by the lake- 

 or pond-side are most liable to attack. At one 

 time the vole threatened the destruction of the 

 New Forest and Forest of Dean by its ravages, 

 large numbers of oak, chestnut, and holly being 

 barked, and in some instances killed outright 

 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. Hollies 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 coni- 

 ferous 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 Ib. to 

 i o Ibs. of seed, will ward off attacks. 



Regarding the attacks of red deer, hares, and 



