Deer sometimes show a decided preference for cultivated plants, 

 and when these are present the animals will turn from laurel, berries, 

 and buds and twigs of the woods to young fruit trees, alfalfa, clover, 

 and garden crops. Among fruit trees, apples are preferred to peaches, 

 and cherries are least attractive. The animals discriminate, also, "be- 

 tween the different varieties of apple trees. In one orchard the Mcin- 

 tosh was relished more than the Delicious, and in another the Alexander 

 was apparently liked "better than the Northern Spy. 



Deer injure fruit trees in three ways: (l) They eat the ends of 

 the lateral "branches, particularly the new growths of trees up to 5 or 

 6 years old; (2) they browse upon the fruit and leaf spurs from the low- 

 er branches of older trees (pi. 1, C) ; (3) they damage the trunk and 

 branches of both young and old trees by rubbing the' antlers against the 

 bark . 



Considerable damage can be done by a few deer. One orchardist re- 

 ported 87 2-year-old trees destroyed in 3 nights by 1 deer, as shown by 

 the easily followed tracks, and later, the destruction of 175 trees in 1 

 night by 6 deer. Another fruit grower had to abandon his entire stock of 

 1,000 trees that were totally damaged (pi. 1, D) by the animals. 



HEPELEENT DEVICES AND SUBSTANCES . 



Scari ng Device s 



Scaring devices, such as white or colored rags hung on branches, 

 have not proved satisfactory as a method of control. In one locality, 

 white rags were tied to 300 apple and peach trees, and 3 years later deer 

 had damaged the trees so badly that the orchard was ^pulled up. 



Sprays 



Several sprays have been used to repel deer, but the animals have 

 been observed browsing on fruit trees almost immediately after an appli- 

 cation of lime- sulphur or nicotine dust. Double- strength kerosene emul- 

 sion as applied for aphids has been reported to keep deer away from young 

 trees for a week. According to one grower, a combination of paris green 

 and lime was effective, but for a short time. 



Stand ard "Deer-pr oof" Fences 



Many fruit growers have built fences to keep deer outside the or- 

 chards. Erom observations of various heights and types of fences, it is 

 recommended that they should be at least 8 feet high with the strands of 

 wire not more than 7 inches apart. Deer, when pressed, may jump 10- or 

 11-foot fences. Although a fence that will keep these animals from or- 

 chards can be built, the cost is prohibitive to most farmers. 



Asafetida 



The most successful deer repellent tested by the writer is asafet- 

 ida. This material is an imported drug supplied in three forms: gum in 



-2- 



