348 Plums and Plum Culture 



however, is in eating the bark off the trunks of young 

 trees during the winter. This work is done both in 

 the nursery and in the orchard. 



There seems to be no practicable way of prevent- 

 ing the mice from eating fall-planted pits. Where 

 field mice are thick, they merely have to be counted on 

 as one of the risks. When they are expected to be 

 troublesome, the best way is not to sow the seeds in 

 the fall. Almost equally good results can be secured 

 by stratifying the seeds and sowing in the spring. This 

 requires some more work, however. 



Young trees are sometimes protected from the 

 attacks of mice and rabbits by tying cornstalks, news- 

 papers, wire netting, strips of wood, or some similar 

 material about the trunks. Banking up the trees in 

 fall with soil or heavy manure will often prove a suf- 

 ficient protection. Treading down the snow is some- 

 times advised; but it has to be attended to after every 

 heavy snowfall, and does not work out well in practice. 

 Trees surrounded by dead weeds and loose rubbish 

 are especially liable to attacks from mice; and such 

 litter should therefore not be allowed to accumulate 

 anvwhere near the trees. 



