-5- 



SIMPLIFYING TECHNICAL MATERIAL 



If technical statei.ients sonet lines appear In Fruit Notes, v;ithout 

 siiaplifico.tion, that policy finds real support in u recent article under the 

 heading "Mania for Siraplicity" by F. L. Thoinsen of the Bureau of Agricultural 

 Econ:>nics, Quoting from the Septenbor 16 issue of USDA: "There are people 

 v;ho hold that everything r.iust be briefed, abstracted, digested, sugar-coated, 

 and so expressed that pictograms and a fev; i.ords of one syllable will tell 

 the entire complex story, Iht^re are even digests of the digests novv, but some 

 stories that should be told, aiid v/ritten, and heard, and read, camiot be ex- 

 pressed in baby talk so that busy people - viho have plenty of time for highly 

 technical discussion of sports or hobbies - cfin absorb and understand pain- 

 lessly. There is a limit to that sort of thing. There seems to be a point 

 at which people should be educated up to understandings and where the effort 

 to simplify should taper off". 



Spur Blight and At'thracnose of Raspberries, These diseases are responsible 

 for heavy loTFes in raspbe'rr'y~p 1m. tings in Massachusetts, They may be con- 

 trolled very effectively by a recently discovered and thoroughly tested treat- 

 ment. Full details are included in a mir.eographed leaflet prepared by 0. C, 

 Boyd, Clark Hall, Massachusetts State College, A copy will be mailed on re- 

 quest. 



NOTES ON ME^^OW MICE (Prepared by Carl B. Henry, principal Llanmal Control 

 Agent of th^3 Fish and Wildlife Service in Massachusetts,) 



One of the annual fall probleias which confront the orchardist is 

 that of controlling the meadow mouse. Meadow nice ctaa be controlled success- 

 fully only v/hen the v^fork is done thoroughly, by competent help and under care- 

 ful supervision. 



Meadow mice arc prolific and under favorable conditions produce 

 several litters of young a year. In favorable "mouse years" there are eight, 

 to ton litters a year, while in years of scarcity, only five to six litters. 

 Litter size fluctuates; large litters predominate when mice are beco:ning 

 abundant. The nu:nber of young in a litter varies fr>Tn one to eleven, the 

 average being five. The mice usually roach soxual maturity when five to six 

 weeks of age, 



Mead'Ow mice are active through '-ut the year and will damage trees ef 

 all sizes both above and belov/ the gr'jund level, Damago has been noted in 

 evory month of the. year. Mead 3v/ mice do not like to come ">ut in the open. 

 For this reason, keeping a grass free area of tv/elve to eighteen inches around 

 tree base is a worthwhile procedure and off-jrs some protection during periods 

 when no snow is on the groimd. 



