THE PESTS OF THE FARM. 87 



these pests in them, by removing, before the snow falls, all rub- 

 bish, such as brushwood, straw, weeds and other litter, for these 

 but furnish comfortable homes for vermin of all descriptions. 

 Have no piles of strawy manure about, and, above all, remove 

 all piles of stones that may have accumulated. It is noticed 

 that the depredations of mice in orchards are comparatively few 

 and unimportant, when the surface of the ground is cleaned up, 

 as described above, and the reverse when it is neglected. 



"Woodchucks in Massachusetts are now in too many localities 

 one of the most mischievous of pests. The habits of the animal, 

 its forays into the pea-patch, the clover field, where, in eating 

 and making paths, it does in a short time as much damage as 

 would a much larger animal, and its wholesale destruction of 

 young beans and green corn, are well known. 



The numbers of this species have increased to a surprising 

 extent within a few years. This fact may be accounted for 

 in two ways. First, the war collected from all the rural popu- 

 lation the sportsmen and gunners ; young men who once or 

 twice a week, with gun in hand, passed many hours ^ in the 

 woods and fields. Of course, to these hunters many a careless 

 woodchuck fell victims, and the destruction was nearly sufficient 

 to keep the vermin in check. While the war was in progress 

 the animals were nearly unmolested, and they increased very 

 rapidly. This fact has been noticed in connection with many 

 of our different species of game, and my attention has been 

 called to it on several occasions. 



Again, the numbers of dogs throughout the State, in conse- 

 quence of the enforcement of the laws enacted for the encour- 

 agement of sheep husbandry, and the requirements of the law 

 that owners of all dogs shall pay for each animal a certain 

 license or fine, have decreased to a very noticeable extent, and 

 neighborhoods which could have boasted of dozens of curs a 

 few years since can now show but a very few. The reduction 

 of the numbers of these natural enemies to the woodchuck has, 

 as before remarked, had its effect, and of late years the animal 

 has become a decided nuisQ,nce. 



As the woodchuck does not lay up a store of food for the 

 winter, it hibernates, or rather its hibernation is natural, not 

 the effect of not saving a winter's food. The mouth of its bur- 

 row is closed at the approach of winter, and the animal becomes 



