120 THE MOLE 



after the manner of the earthworm in tilling and surf ace -dressing 

 the ground. In tunnelling the mole cuts the tender and actively 

 feeding roots, and the hills frustrate effective grass-cutting by either 

 the scythe or grass-mower. In winter and spring the greater part 

 of mole-hills are thrown up, hence, if the mounds are spread just 

 before the field is "shut up" for hay, followed by chain or bush 

 harrows and roller, not much further throwing up of hillocks takes 

 place, as the mole works near the surface, and betakes itself to hedge - 

 banks or outskirts of coppices and woods for breeding, and there 

 forms the large mounds so objectionable in meadows. Though the 

 mole prefers to work in grass fields, it invades arable land; and 

 among winter wheat, oats, and beans, also rotation grasses and 

 clovers, is very annoying, making its surface runs and hillocks in 

 all directions, and by up-rooting and covering over of the young 

 plants, is prejudicial. But by the time barley is sown in spring 

 or the wheat has been hoed, the mole's activity will have 

 abated and few hillocks remain to incommode the reaping machine 

 in harvest. Nevertheless, the mole's feeding runs are mainly 

 trenches just beneath the surface, and when these are considerable, 

 the plants suffer seriously, particularly in light soils. The runs are 

 often made in potato and root crop ridges, and for this reason 

 moles are not tolerable in cultivated land during the cropping season. 

 In the garden the mole is particularly energetic in tunnelling through 

 lawns, flower beds and borders, while in vegetable grounds the 

 trouble, annoyance and damage to plants caused by the tunnels 

 and cuttings and soil upheavals soon convince the most kindly 

 owner or occupier that the garden is no place for the mole either 

 as pleasure or profit. This applies to all outdoor crops of the horti- 

 culturist ; indeed, in all highly cultivated land, the mole is an 

 intolerable nuisance, hence recourse must be had to trapping. 



The COMMON WOOD MOLE TRAPS, as used by professional mole 

 catchers from time immemorial, are shown in the illustration, Fig. 

 77. The Tube Trap A is formed of lime, sycamore or willow, 5J- 

 in. long, 2} in. diameter, 2-in. bore (/), piece cut out of lower 

 side to admit of adjusting table (g), J-in. hole bored in centre 

 of upper side where J-in. thick (h), J-in. holes at each end for 

 snares (i). The other parts are identical with those described under 

 B, the tube trap being shown set, main string (/) secured by forked 

 piece and tube by pegs (k), with the spring stake (/) adjusted. 



The COMMON WOOD Bow MOLE TRAP, Fig. 77, B, consists of a 

 piece of half-inch board, 5j in. long by 2f in. wide, through 

 which four holes are bored in the four corners and one in the middle. 

 A piece of J in. hoop-pole is split, the ends pointed a little, and 

 so bent flat side inwards as to form bows, when fitted in the end 

 holes, about 2 in. deep, then appearing as the two pieces (m). 

 Another forked piece of the same material (both preferably hazel), 

 but unsplit, is cut, and rounded at the straight end, so as to fit in the 



