10 



the Legislature for the betterment of properties in the St. Law- 

 rence Reservation. 



While planting up the land on this tract the attention of the 

 forester was directed to the field mice which were evidently 

 there in dangerous numbers. The plantation was therefore thor- 

 oughly "poisoned" by a liberal distribution of a mixture con- 

 sisting of corn meal, or wheat, and strychnine. Two formulas 

 were used for this purpose: 



1. Three quarts of corn meal, one-twelfth ounce of strychnine, 

 one-half pound brown sugar, and one quart of water. 



2. Three quarts of wheat, one-twelfth ounce strychnine, one- 

 half pound brown sugar, and one quart of water. 



For such purpose the sugar and strychnine should in each case 

 be first dissolved in the water thoroughly. If wheat is used the 

 grains should be soaked in this mixture two days, after which, the 

 water having been absorbed, it must be dried completely. The 

 wheat is scattered broadcast; and it is claimed that one kernel 

 will destroy a mouse. The meal, however, is said to be the most 

 effective. It should be used while damp, and placed in small quan- 

 tities one-half teaspoonful in a place at frequent intervals in 

 the runways of the mice. At Canoe Point, a light snow having 

 fallen the runways were easily discovered. 



These formulas have been used with good success in the large 

 nurseries of R. Douglas' Sons, at Waukegan, 111., where at one 

 time a loss of $5,000 in white pine seedlings was caused by the 

 depredations of rodents before their presence was discovered. 



Another tract was sown with white pine by the seed-spot 

 method. The land selected for this purpose is in Essex county, 

 near the highway running from Lower Saranac Lake to Lake 

 Placid. The ground on this site was so uneven, rough, and over- 



