THE SQUIRREL 149 



with soil in the usual way. If the beans be infested by the bean- 

 beetle, or the peas with pea-beetle, they will be destroyed by the 

 paraffin penetrating through the thin ^kin of the seed where the 

 weevils lie ; indeed, the pests generally eat their way out shortly 

 after treatment and die (Qa, Rb), while other objectionable pests, 

 such as millipedes, leave the treated seed alone. 



Another preparation for beans and peas sown in fields is that 

 known as Street's Dressing : sulphate of copper (blue vitriol), i Ib. ; 

 McDougall's sewage carbolic, i pint ; water, ij gallon. Dissolve 

 the bluestone in the water, add the carbolic, stir well, and sprinkle 

 on the beans or peas heaped up on a hard floor, and turn several 

 times with a shovel, using sufficient of the dressing to moisten 

 every seed evenly. It is done the day before sowing, and as the 

 water evaporates, a thin coating. of sulphate of copper is deposited 

 on the seed-beans or peas which acts as a fungicide, while the 

 carbolic destroys any bean or pea weevil in the seed, and this is 

 protected to a great extent from being eaten by mice and rats, 

 wood-pigeons, etc. 



SQUIRRELS. To plant forest trees, particularly coniferous, with 

 the object of producing timber profitably where squirrels abound 

 is useless, for they bite through the leading growths, especially 

 of spruce, silver fir, and Scots pine, and gnaw the bark of the latter 

 and larch, while they do not fail to cripple broad-leaved species 

 of trees in the sapling state. In these and other ways the squirrel 

 far outweighs in injuries to timber production the good it does 

 by devouring cockchafer grubs, and the pupae of sawflies and 

 other insects, so that the animal must be classed as an enemy 

 by the forester. To "the nut-grower, particularly cob-nut and 

 filbert, no worse pilferer exists than the squirrel, and its delight in 

 walnuts and Spanish chestnuts is evidenced by their being stored 

 for winter and spring use. Luscious gage plums and nectarines 

 are given special attention ; not that the squirrel dislikes other 

 fruits, but because those named are more to its taste and easily 

 carried off. Thus the rodent is an enemy to the fruit-grower, and 

 also to the nurseryman, as it scrapes up the cotyledons of seedlings 

 germinating in the spring. 



Squirrels are such great ornaments to pleasure grounds, parks 

 and woodlands that 1hey are protected as far as possible by the 

 owners or occupiers ; but no opportunity is lost by the budding Nim- 

 rod and unqualified sportsman of pelting with stones by hand 

 throwirg or catapult, so that the animal outside coverts, parks, 

 and pleasure grounds has little chance of existence ; while those 

 protecting squirrels sometimes have recourse to tree guards for 

 preventing the animals climbing tall standard fruit or nut trees. 

 Tying a newspaper (Fig. 97 U g) around the trunks, letting it pro- 

 ject 6 inches or more, either inclining downward or upward (reverse 

 way shown in the figure), is effective. The rattle of the paper 



