FOREST PROTECTION 15 



Par. 4. Protection Against Wild Vertebrates. 



Amongst the wild animals preying upon the forest the mammals figure 

 as well as the birds. The role played by the vertebrates in the "house- 

 hold" of the forest is little known. 



Birds and mammals may injure the forest directly by eating vege- 

 table matter produced in the forest, or indirectly by killing the 

 friends of the forester. Utility of a wild animal is frequently combined 

 with noxiousness, e. g. in the case of the crow, blue-jay, fox. 

 Useful animals may help the forester either directly by seed distri- 

 bution, or indirectly by killing the enemies of the forest. 



A. PROTECTION AGAINST MAMMALS FORMING THE OBJECT OF CHASE. 

 I. DEER. 



a. The damage done consists in: 

 Eating fruits. 



Browsing on shoots and seedlings. 

 Peeling the bark of saplings and poles (notably of spruce, 



oak, ash). 



Rubbing off the bark when freeing the antlers of velvet. 

 Tramping down plantations or natural regenerations. 



The objects of damage are, above all, the rare species, or species 

 arousing the curiosity of the deer. 



b. Protective measures are: 



Proper regulation of the number of deer. Compatible with 

 the objects of silviculture are, per 10,000 acres, 50 head of 

 elk or 150 head of Virginia deer, provided th:it nurseries are 

 fenced. 



Feeding during winter by cutting soft woods or by providing 

 hay stacks. Mast-bearirg trees should be c eouraged; grass 

 meadows should be maintained; a few patches should be planted 

 in turnips, potatoes, clover, etc. Mai;;tni i < .s:lt licks, es- 

 pecially with a view to preventing bark t r: .i 'g in spring. 

 Hohlfeld's game powder is s.-ud to a> pwer purpose still 



better. Fencing nurseries ?v <1 young "T< \v ! 

 Sprinkling seedlings with ken sere. ! fi:< urc. blood, 



cotton residue or, better covering Ihe fall >1 - exclusive of 

 bud, with cool tar. Cral fnr is especially el M he ii ihe case 

 of fir and spruce. Thii i i< frs should le <.l . r $s long as 

 possible. Planth g is prefers! lo to sr-wi jr. irlly to sow- 



ing in the fall. 



II. WILD BOAR. Boar are particularly disrstn us urseries. nat- 



ural regenerations and plai t; tic s. Tl.e r h r< r-s ; re strong 



fences. 



