120 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 



just below the ground, the gopher cutting deep 

 into the wood, causing immediate death. The 

 girdling of large roots is also common. In 

 California the fig seems to suffer most, but 

 orange, lemon, apricot and all other fruit-trees 

 are attacked. 



Complaints from western nurserymen of 

 injury to their stock by pocket-gophers are 

 frequent. The trees in nursery-rows are set 

 small and close together. Consequently a go- 

 pher by following the rows can in a short time 

 kill many trees. Such injury is usually done 

 in late fall or winter, and the nurseryman is 

 often unaware of it until spring. The gopher 

 takes the entire root, not merely the bark, cuts 

 it into short pieces, packs them into its enor- 

 mous cheek-pouches, and carries them away to 

 its food-caches, which sometimes contain half 

 a bushel of such provender. Plantations of 

 young trees for wind-breaks or ornament, or 

 to afforest a district, are equally hurt; in fact 

 the gophers are worse than rabbits, because 

 they work unseen and almost invariably kill in- 

 stead of merely injuring the trees. Wherever 

 they abound orchards are almost an impossi- 

 bility. 



