no PROTECTION OF WOODS AGAINST 



3. Roll the seed well in red-lead before sowing. 



4. Protect mice-eating birds, such as kestrels and owls, which 

 destroy large numbers. 



5. In nurseries lay spring traps about on the seed-beds and 

 visit daily to remove the mice which are caught. The traps 

 should be attached with strong cords to pegs. 



Another good plan is to bury glass jam-pots in the ground 

 with their tops level with the surface. Into these place a few 

 grains of wheat as a bait ; the mice fall in and cannot get out. 



6. If great care is taken poison may be used, but there is 

 always danger of this being taken by other animals. When 

 used it should be placed in short narrow drain-pipes, so small 

 that only mice can enter them. 



BIRDS. 



The great majority of birds are useful, as they eat a great 

 number of grubs and injurious insects, and care should there- 

 fore be taken not to destroy them without careful thought. 

 At certain times of the year, more especially in nurseries, 

 birds may be a nuisance, but it is usually better to protect 

 the seed-beds with netting rather than to shoot the birds, 

 which are probably the woodman's best friend at other times 

 of the year. 



Pigeons, doves, jays, and chaffinches, are decidedly destruc- 

 tive ; they eat great quantities of seeds and also destroy buds 

 and seedlings in nurseries, and should be kept down by 

 shooting. Most of the other birds do more good than harm. 



Nurseries may be protected from damage by birds as follows : 



1. Roll the seed well in red-lead before sowing. 



2. Cover the seed-beds with wire netting. 



3. Use scarecrows. 



4. Fire off blank cartridges, or if necessary shoot the birds. 

 Woodpeckers do damage by making holes in standing 



trees, but on investigation it is nearly always found that trees 

 so attacked are already rotten within, or have been attacked 



