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y<itin(il Eiiniiirs of Siiailft and Shifis. 



I'.y far tbo greatest natural cheeks are birds, espeeially tlie tlirusb or 

 so-called robin, wbicb not onl.v eats man.v slugs, but is e.specially jiartial to 

 snails, breaking tbeir sbells against a stone and jiicking out the mollusc. 

 Blackbirds devour large numbers of slugs, as also do starlings. Toads are 

 great devourers of slugs and small snails. Moles and shrew mice also help to 

 keep down the number of slugs. Ponltr.v and ducks eagerl.v search for them. 

 ('enti)iedes attack slugs and ants fre(iuentl,v kill snails, but none of the 

 foregoing, save birds, do any appreciable good iu keeijing down an excess of 

 these molluscan creatures. 



Pnrciitioii 11(1(1 Rei((C(licft. 



The fiillowing nui.v be nientiimed as tending to prevent an<l lessen the 

 attack of these pests: — 



1. Drainage, because dampness favours them. 



2. Avoid long manure, or, in fact, any organic manure where sings are 

 abundant in the soil. Employ artificials foe a t(i(u\ 



S. Dry dressings of some irritant to kill the jiests. (a) Soot and lime; 

 ( ?) I salt and lime; (r-) lime and caustic soda; or to act mechanicall.v, (il) 

 powdered coke. 



The lime must be in a ver.v Hnel.v divided state and quite fresh. 7'/co or 

 three dressings i)('ust he yiven, the second some lo to 30 minutes after the first. 

 Lime and caustic soda is found to act best — four parts of caustic soda to 90 of 

 lime, well mixed. Dry dressings, except powdered coke, should be applied very 

 earl.\- in the morning. 



4. "Kings'" of slaked lime or fine ash soaked in paratKn nuiy lie ]iut 

 around choice plants. 



.". In gardens and hop plantations heaps of bran-umsh or moist oatmeal 

 may be placed here and there. These baits attract the slugs, which ma.v then 

 be easily collected. 



<■>. Heavy applications of soot are best to keep off snails, which should be 

 dealt with mainly liy hand-picking and by trapping with cabbage leaves. 



7. Rows of peas, etc.. are best protected either by .spreading barle.v sweei> 

 ings iir cinders and lime along the rows, or by heavy dressings of slaked lime. 



!S. Rockeries, ferneries, hedge bottoms and rough herbage at the base of 

 walls should be cleaned out in winter and the masses of hibernating snails 

 crushed. 



il. Land that is thoroughly fouled with slugs should be treated with gas- 

 lime and in winter deeply trenched. 



1(1. Wherever invasion is seen to come from a neighbouring copse or 

 spiiniey .a deep trench should be dug and filled with lime or tar, iu order to 

 trap the creatures. 



11. Ducks and poultry shn\dd be kept in hop gardens in late autumn, and 

 ducks in spring, and also, whenever possible, tlie latter should be iienued on 

 garden land, as they greedily devour both kinds of pests. 



