174 THE PROTECTION OP WOODLANDS. 



gnawed can be cut back to the stool ; but young Conifers are 

 usually damaged beyond recovery. Young park - trees, and 

 exotics scattered experimentally in the woods, can be protected 

 by binding thorns or rough brushwood round the stems. 

 Rabbits may be trapped, ferreted, or shot, but it is often 

 difficult to exterminate them. Smearing the shoots with ill- 

 smelling substances cannot be relied upon to protect young 

 plants. Wherever there are even only a few rabbits, young 

 plantations need to be protected for at least seven years by 

 being carefully fenced with 1-inch-mesh wire-netting, which 

 adds considerably to the initial cost, though this extra charge 

 should , really be debitable to the game account. Wire-netted 

 plantations should be carefully examined from time to time to 

 see that no rabbits have got in ; because, if once inside, unless 

 they are all killed the plantation becomes a warren, and the 

 rabbits may do serious damage. To be rabbit - proof, wire- 

 fencing must now have a 1-inch mesh for the first 18 inches 

 (besides 6 inches being bent outwards underground), and a 1]- 

 inch or IJ-inch mesh for 2 ft. above that; and, in addition to 

 being bent outwards underground for 6 inches at lower end, it 

 must either be bent outwards at the top, or else the posts should 

 lean slightly outwards to prevent climbing. If set upright, and 

 the wire be not bent outwards, rabbits can jump up, climb over, 

 and get into the plantation, as they have now in many localities 

 developed climbing-power since close-meshed wire-fencing was 

 introduced. The additional cost of providing and fixing strong 

 small-mesh rabbit-proof wire-netting of 4 ft. breadth, bending 

 it outwards underground for 6 in. at lower side to pre- 

 vent burrowing, and making it also bend over somewhat at 

 the top to prevent rabbits climbing over, comes to about 6d. 

 to 7d. a running yard, which brings up the total cost to about 

 Is. 6d. a-yard for cattle-and-rablit fencing, and Is. IJd. to 

 Is. 3d. a-yard for sheep-and-rabbit fencing. 



Squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) may also do serious damage 



