14 . 



thau in others, but generally the increased price obtained for the 

 early fruit has much more than paid expenses of the work, and in 

 seasons of early frost, to which many sections of New England are 

 liable, it has made the difference between total failure and fair profit. 



To save expense in the work, for the past two years the girdling 

 has been done by twisting a wire very firmly about the canes the last 

 of June above the point where the cane is to be cut away at the fall 

 pruning. 



About No. 20 wire has been found best, and results obtained have 

 been more satisfactory when the wires were put on the last of June 

 or early in July and twisted very firmly about the cane. 



Conclusion. 

 While we have no proof that the vines are in any way injured 

 (notwithstanding that we have made very careful observations for 

 many years) , we would not advise girdling the entire vine, but would 

 treat only those canes to be cut away at the fall pruning, and would 

 leave about one-half of the vine to grow to a natural condition. 



PROTECTING TREES FROM MICE. 



During the winter of 1886 and 1887 thousands of fruit and orna- 

 mental trees were destroyed by mice in Massachusetts ; all of the 

 ordinary precautions taken to prevent this injury having failed. 



To discover some sure and cheap remedy for this condition of 

 things, the following experiments have been made during the past 

 two years. 



EXPERIMENT NO. 1. 



In March, 1887 a row of Transcendent crab apple trees were painted 

 with linseed oil and Paris green and a mixture of linseed oil, turpen- 

 tine and Paris Green as follows. 



1st. The trunk was painted 15 inches from the ground. 

 2d. Trunk painted to main branches. 

 3d. Trunk and main branches painted. 



4th. Trunk, main branches and some of the lateral branches were 

 painted. 



Result. 



Trees have shown no signs of injury from the paint which still 

 adheres to the bark. 



EXPERIMENT NO. 2. 



Having fears of the danger of using Paris green and oil upon 



