INJURIES TO TREES. 113 



encourage sprouts from the roots. To prevent the gnawing 

 of larger trees, paint the trunks with a cement or lime wash 

 made rather thick and containing Paris Green in the propor- 

 tion of one tablespoonful of Paris Green to a pailful of the 

 wash. If skira milk is used in mixing the wash instead of 

 water the material sticks better. Trees that are gnawed badly 

 may often be saved by coating the injured surface with graft- 

 ing- wax, blue clay, or other similar material soon after the 

 damage is done so as to prevent the seasoning of the wood, 

 and thus give it a chance to heal over; where the injury is 

 close to the ground it should be covered with earth. 



The Pocket Gopher. Trees are sometimes injured by pocket 

 gophers eating the roots. Trapping or poisoning may be 

 resorted to or bisulphide of carbon may be used to suffocate 

 them in their burrows. 



Birds. Most of our birds are helpful in various ways, 

 such as distributing seeds and in destroying injurious insects 

 and such small injurious animals as mice and gophers. They 

 also add to the beauty of our woods and fields and to our 

 pleasure and recreation. But some kinds are provokingly 

 injurious by eating the seeds we wish to gather, or by digging 

 up newly-sown seeds. Where they are troublesome on seed 

 beds they may be kept away by covering the bed with wire 

 netting, which will also serve to keep away other animals. If 

 only birds are troublesome, mosquito netting may be used, or 

 the seeds may be given a light coating of red lead and dried 

 in land plaster or flour before sowing. 



The sap-sucker does considerable injury to some trees by 

 making holes in the bark for the purpose of securing insects 

 which go there to feed on the sap. They are sometimes so 

 very injurious that it is necessary to destroy them. The 

 Apple, Box Elder, Maple and most other trees are subject to 

 their injuries. 



Cattle. The pasturing of cows, horses, sheep and other 

 animals in the wood lands 'is generally a poor practice, as these 

 animals brouse off many of the young seedlings, especially 

 those of deciduous trees, such as the Oak, Basswood, Birch, 

 Cherry and others, though they seldom eat coniferous trees. 

 They also compact the ground and destroy many small seed- 

 lings by thtir continued tramping, especially when present in 



