128 PROTECTION AGAINST ANIMALS. 



be placed between acorns or other seeds in the nursery-beds. 

 The seed should be covered with red lead by slightly wetting it 

 and rubbing the red lead on to the seeds. 



(e) For sowings in the forest, the following precautions are 

 recommended : Soaking the seeds for half an hour in a 2 per 

 cent, solution of carbolic acid in water ; 10 per cent, of the 

 acid will kill the seeds. Acorns may also be soaked in a 

 decoction of quassia. The seed-beds may be covered with a 

 layer, 2 inches thick, of old tan or spruce branches, or strewn 

 witli calcium chloride, which is also a protection against 

 certain insects. Seeds may be covered with red lead. 



(/) Endangered saplings in nurseries may be wrapped 

 round spirally with 4-8 inches wide strips of asphalt paper 

 and their barks surrounded with asphalt tar. The scent of 

 this keeps off the mice. Hesse considers coal-tar as hurtful 

 to plants. Various advertised preparations may be smeared 

 over the plants, such as a mixture of cart-grease, petrol, alum 

 and tallow. 



(g) Felling-areas with grass-undergrowth should be pastured 

 down in summer and autumn by cattle or sheep. The grass 

 protects the mice from observation, and renders the bark of 

 plants in it soft and fresh, which the mice like. The cattle 

 disturb and trample down many mice. 



(h) Beech seeding-fellings should be dark in order to keep 

 down the grass. 



(i) Pigs may be admitted into the forest as long as the soil 

 is loose, especially near nurseries. They root-up the ground, 

 disturb the mice, destroy their young, fill up their burrows, 

 and also trample-down and eat many mice. 



(j) liemoval of low undergrowth, which shelters the mice. 



(fr) Branches of softwoods or hornbeam may be spread 

 about in young beech-woods, to attract the mice from the 

 beech. They must however be frequently replaced, as dry 

 branches are no longer gnawed, and then the remedy does 

 more harm than good, the branches having attracted mice 

 into the wood. This is a good precaution against the southern 

 field-vole. 



(1) Protection of Enemies. Here we must restrict ourselves 

 to the protection of mice-destroyers which may not do so 



