158 FRUIT FARMING 



Rats may be trapped or killed by the new Virus, 

 but Field Mire are not so easily taken ; a good cat 

 will make herself useful in the plantations. Foxes 

 sometimes do damage also. 



Rubbish. —Always burn at once all prunings of Fruit 

 Trees and Bushes, and the rubbish quarter and faggot 

 stacks should be at some distance from the Fruit 

 Trees, as they harbour all kinds of insect pests. A 

 constant fire should be kept going to burn all fruit 

 trimmings, hedge cuttings, etc. 



Squirrels are tiresome among Nuts. There is no 

 remedy but shooting them, and although it may appear 

 cruel thus to treat one of our most beautiful animals, 

 they are most destructive, and travel miles from the 

 fir-topped hills to the Cob and Filbert plantations, 

 coming quite close to towns, although such shy animals. 



Wasps do considerable harm among fruit. A liberal 

 price should be paid for Queens in the spring and 

 nests in the autumn, which can be readily destroyed 

 by inserting rags, dipped in Cyanide of Potassium, in 

 their entrances — it is a poison, and requires care in use. 



Weevils. — When foliage or bark is eaten at the 

 edges, or the young buds are eaten out, and no 

 enemy appears by daylight, it is probable that trees 

 are attacked by Weevils, which work at night. The 

 trees should be quietly approached with a lantern, a 

 white cloth be placed under them, then shake the 

 Weevils gently into the cloth ; collect and destroy 

 them in boiling water. A small coppery day Weevil 

 also does mischief, and should be similarly dealt with. 

 It has been found effieacious to lay old sacking flat on 

 the soil, stamped down ; this being warm, the weevils 

 lie in it, and from time to time it can be lifted, and the 

 insects collected by shaking it. 



