MASSACHUSETTS STATE COLLEGE 

 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 AND COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICES IN AGRICULTURE AND 

 HOME ECONOMICS COOPERATING 



FRUIT NOTES - March, 1937 



W. H. Thies 

 Extension Horticulturist 



The Mous e Mencace in Massachusetts Orchards 



D. A. Spencer, District Investigator of the Bureau of Biological 

 Survey, who has been working on the mouse problem in Massachusetts since Ipst 

 fall, makes these pointed suggestions on mouse control: 



1. A mouse infestation is no mystery. The tree-girdling mouse builds small 



roadways and trails under tall grass or hay mulch. Look for these trails,' 



2. Tree-girdling mice burrow in unfrozen aoil. They sometimes tunnel under 



sand, gravel, or cinders at the tree base. They often damage the tree 

 under the wire guards. 



3. Bait stations (tubes, envelopes, bottles, or cang) in the open , have 



not worked, 



U. Place poisoned baits directly on the ground i n mouse trails or drop into 

 burrows entering the ground. Cover the trail at each baited spot with 

 mulch, sacking, or bo?>rds. Mice will not feed under the open sky, 



5» Contact your county agent for inforraa,tion en efficient mouse poisons. 



Mr. Spencer has done much to eliminate the mystery about mouse 

 damage. His work during the past few months will enable our fruit growers 

 to attack the mouse problem more intelligently. Briefly stated we must 

 first locate the mouse "runs" and then place the bait where they are, and 

 n»t where we think they ought to be. Orchard areas adjoining low meadows 

 or swamp land p.re highly favorable for a mouse infestation. 



At this season oiir first job is to find out the location a,nd ex- 

 tent of the season's dannge, andw?'re seeing more of it every day. Bridge 

 grafting or inarching with young trees must be done this spring to be most 

 effective. And instea.d of waiting until summer let's locate the dajnage 

 as soon as the ground thaws out, do the necessp,ry bridging and lay plans for 

 a reel campaign against the tree girdlers next fall. 



Apple Bud "Sports " 



While apple bud mutations or "sports" '-ere recorded as early as 

 17^1, there has been a great increa.se in the number reported in recent 

 years, according to Shajnel and Pomeroy in the Journal of Heredity for De- 

 cember. About Uoc apple variations have been recorded. 3^0 of these have 

 been color variations, probably because variations in color are readily 

 seen, but variations have been reported in fruit size, fruit shape, season, 

 seedlessness, and lea.f characters. 



Among apple varieties grown in Massachusetts the following indi- 

 cates the recorded niimber of red sports: 



Delicious 57 Rome Beauty 21 Northern Spy 17 



C^ldenburg 15 Mcintosh 11 Cravens tein 13 



Baldwin U Red Astrachan U Wealthy 3 



The frequent occuUbnce of red sports shoiild encourage every fruit 

 grower to watch for variations in his own orchard. More color or brighter 

 color would improve most varieties, (R. A. Van Meter) 



