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MIC 



MIL 



roots of trees to keep the ground 

 open. The evidence in favour of 

 it i? very strons^, and it is certain 

 th^t it will atford a much less fa- 

 vourable shelter to tield mice. 

 From its structure, it is impossible 

 for them to burrow into it, and to 

 form nests, and it is probable that 

 it will produce all the desired ad- 

 vantages of keeping the roots free 

 from plants which will exhaust the 

 soil ; at the same time that it will 

 serure our trees from the effects of 

 our severe droughts. We think 

 that sufficient attention has not been 

 paid to the differetjce between our 

 summers, and those of any of the 

 northern parts of Europe. Our sky 

 is -nore unclouded — our droughts 

 of longer continuance, and there- 

 fore the rule applicable in Europe, 

 will uot answer for this country. In 

 winter the same distinction ought 

 to be kept in mind. Our frosts are 

 so penetrating, and so deep, that 

 animals, accustomed to live on ve- 

 getable matter, are driven from the 

 roots of grassjto subsist on the barks 

 of trees, and the injuries thus in- 

 flicted are more lasting, and more 

 severe than any, which the Euro- 

 pean farmer encounters. If the 

 application of tanner's bark should 

 prove a successful remedy against 

 the attacks of field mice, and of 

 drought, we shall owe much to the 

 intelligent farmer of Massachusetts, 

 who first introduced it into notice. 

 There is scarcely any town without 

 a tan-yard, but in defect of tan- 

 ner's bark, it has been suggested, 

 that the breakings of flax, or hemp, 

 would answer the same purpose. 

 We have not so much confidence 

 in this, except against insects,which 



make a lodgment in the earth. 

 Against them it would seem to be 

 an effectual preservative, if it were 

 possible to procure it in sufficient 

 quantities. See Orchard. 



Take a spoonful of flour, mixed 

 with some scrapings of old cheese, 

 and seeds of hemlock, made as fine 

 as possible. Set it where the mice 

 haunt. If it be set in a house, let 

 it not be in thesame apartment with 

 any thing that is to be used as the 

 food of man. This mixture will 

 destroy all the mice that eat it. 



But since many fear to use poi- 

 son, they may take them alive in 

 wire cages. However, instead of 

 the round ones which are common- 

 ly used, I would recommend square 

 ones, enclosed in thin wooden box- 

 es, with a hole in the box against 

 the entrance of the cage ; because 

 a mouse will not so readily enter 

 into a place where he sees another 

 confined. The bait may be a rind 

 of cheese scorched, made fast to 

 the centre of the bottom of the 

 cage, and so far from the hole that 

 a mouse cannot reach it till he has 

 got quite into the cage. For 

 if he should stick in the passage, 

 he will prevent the entrance of 

 others. 



MILDEW. It has been ascer- 

 tained by discoveries since the date 

 of Dr. Deane's writings on agricul- 

 ture, that this disease is occasioned 

 by a minute parasitic fungus or 

 mushroom called by botanists Ure- 

 do, and Puccinca, on the leaves, 

 stems, and glumes or chaff' of the 

 living plant. The roots of the fun- 

 gus, intercepting the sap, intended 

 by nature for the nutriment of the 

 grain, render it lean and shrivelled, 



