19 



further observations have confirmed, that the vines are not materially 

 injured by the girdling. 



Girdling has been practised in the college vineyard more or less 

 every year since with favorable results ; the canes that are to be cut 

 away at the fall pruning only have been girdled, to avoid any possibility 

 of injury to vine or root from stopping the downward flow of sap by the 

 girdle. 



Some seasons the results of this practice have been more marked 

 than in others, but generally the increased price obtained for the early 

 fruit has much more than paid expenses of the work, and in seasons of 

 early frost, to which many sections of New England are liable, it has 

 made the difference between total failure and fair profit. 



To save expense in the work, for the past two years the girdling has 

 been done by twisting a wire very firmly about the canes the last of 

 June above the point where the cane is to be cut away at the fall 

 pruning. 



About No. 20 wire has been found best, and results obtained have 

 been more satisfactory when the wires were put on the last of June or 

 early in July and twisted very firmly about the cane. 



Conclusion. 



While we have no proof that the vines are in any way injured (not- 

 withstanding that we have made very careful observations for many 

 years), we would not advise girdling the entire vine, but would treat 

 only those canes to be cut away at the fall pruning, and would leave 

 about one-half of the vine to grow to a natural condition. 



PROTECTING TREES FROM MICE. 



During the winter of 1886 and 1887 thousands of fruit and orna- 

 mental trees were destroyed by mice in Massachusetts ; all of the ordi- 

 nary precautions taken to prevent this injury having failed. 



To discover some sure and cheap remedy for this condition of things, 

 the following experiments have been made during the past two years. 



Experiment No. 1. 



In March, 1887 a row of Transcendent crab apple trees were painted 

 with linseed oil and Paris green and a mixture of linseed oil, turpentine 

 and Paris Green as follows. 



1st. The trunk was painted 15 inches from the ground. 

 2d. Trunk painted to main branches. 

 3d. Trunk and main branches painted. 



4th. Trunk, main branches and some of the lateral branches were 

 painted. 



