42 



COMMON MAMMALS OF W'KSTKHN MONTANA. 



Although orchards are sometimes so badly damaged by rabl)its as 

 to require replanting, as a rule the depredations are not so serious. 

 The following extract is from a letter written by the superintendent 

 of an orchard company: 



The damage done by rabbits on the 1.000 acres planted amounted to about 

 3,000 to 3,500 trees out of a total of 130,i92. On one special corner we bad 

 t<> replant 1,034 out of 1,071 trees. 



RABBIT-PROOF FENCES. 



Rabbit-proof fencing is one of the surest means of keeping the 

 animals out of orchards and gardens, and is entirely effective except 

 where drifted snow enables them to get over the fence. A netting of 

 No. 18 or 20 galvanized iron wire, with 1^-inch mesh, and from 

 24 to 3| feet high is sufficient to exclude all rabbits. It may be used 

 in combination with an ordinarv wire fence. The lower edge of the 

 netting should be turned outward for from 4 to G inches and covered 

 with soil (with a plow); or a single closely barbed wire should be 

 placed in contact with the surface of the ground. 



TRUNK WASHES. 



A large number of washes and paints designed to keep rabbits from 

 eating the bark of trees have been tried, but most of them have proved 

 utterly useless. Coal tar, pine tar, tarred paper, and various oils are 

 likely to kill young trees; and while blood and animal fats are some- 

 times protective against rabbits when freshly applied, they are dan- 

 gerous because attractive to meadow mice. Carbolic acid, though a 

 favorite ingredient of these washes, evaporates so quickly that it is 

 of no permanent value. The lime-and-sulphur wash so effective 

 against the San Jose scale is probably the best and cheapest obtain- 

 able and, if thoroughly applied late in the fall, should remain effect- 

 ive throughout the winter. The following directions for its prep- 

 aration and use are taken from an article by D. E. Lantz in the 

 Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture for 1907: 



Unslaked lime pounds.. 20 



Flowers of sulphur do 15 



Water to make gallons.. 45-50 



A little salt [or glue] may be added to increase the adhesive property of the 

 mixture. The lime, sulphur, and about a third of the water are boiled together 

 for at least one hour, and the full quantity of water is then added. For 

 San Jose scale the wash in the form of a spray is applied to the entire sur- 

 face of the trees. For protection from mice and rabbits the trunks only require 

 treatment, and the wash may be applied with a brush. One application in 

 November should last the entire winter. 

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