118 FIELD MICE. 



known in this section for many years. From early 

 in December, snow-storms followed each other at 

 short intervals, usually accompanied by heavy wind, 

 in certain places drifting and piling up the snow 

 several feet high. About the first of March nearly 

 all our pear orchard lay under a bed of snow five 

 feet in depth, a part of which remained on the 

 ground until the beginning of April. When the 

 surface was clear, I soon found, on examination, evi- 

 dence of the activity of these mice. Forty-one pear 

 trees were injured some half way round the body, 

 others had but a narrow connection of bark left 

 and, to my great dismay, twenty-six trees, for which 

 I would not have entertained an offer of $500, were 

 completely girdled. There were a number barked 

 two feet above the surface of the ground, and some 

 of the main branches were eaten badly. 



Under the circumstances, it was imperative that 

 something should be done. If left as they were, the 

 trees could not survive. From each of them the 

 bark had been most effectually removed, leaving a 

 bare place of wood twelve inches wide. 



Some years ago, in hunting up horticultural curi- 

 osities, I found, to my surprise, on the farm of John 

 Brill, near Newark, a large cherry tree, about ten 

 inches in diameter, that, when young, had been 

 girdled, and in which he had inserted three scions in 



