224 The Commercial Apple Industry 



gnawing the bark from the trunk at or near the surface of 

 the ground. Most of this injury is accomplished in the 

 winter under cover of snow, although it may occur any 

 time during the year. 



The runways of meadow mice are found entirely on 

 the surface of the ground under weeds, leaves, brush and 

 similar litter. Ordinarily, orchard sanitation, including 

 the removal of trash and litter from about trees and fence 

 rows, will suffice to control this pest, although poisoning 

 may be necessary for bad infestation. 



Pine mice. 



The pine mouse is not dissimilar to the field mouse except 

 that it is smaller and reddish-brown instead of the charac- 

 teristic grayish-brown color of the field mouse. While the 

 field mouse is more widely distributed throughout the 

 country, the pine mouse is more injurious and more 

 greatly feared in regions where it is prevalent. The Vir- 

 ginias have suffered severe depredations in recent years. 

 In one Virginia county alone, it is estimated that the loss 

 from pine mice would amount to $300,000 annually. The 

 pine mouse works almost entirely below the surface of the 

 ground, feeding on the roots of the apple trees, girdling 

 the trunk at or below the surface of the ground and in 

 many instances tunneling along the roots and eating the 

 bark for a distance of several feet from the trunk of the 

 tree. While the field mouse usually works under cover 

 of snow and is particularly bad in years when a heavy 

 coating of snow remains on the ground for a considerable 

 period during the winter, the pine mouse works beneath 

 the surface of the ground and in all seasons of the year. 

 Its activity in most cases is not apparent until the tree 



