ENEMIES TO WOODLANDS AND NURSERIES. 65 



In 3^ears during which the common field vole {A, agrestis)^ 

 the great enemy of the agriculturist, has multiplied 

 excessively, the woodlands have to suffer when the swarms 

 withdraw from the arable and pasture lands into the forests. 

 Here they commence feeding on all the young plants they 

 come across, biting through young two to five year-old 

 stems close to the ground, and killing older saplings and 

 young poles by gnawing off the bark all round at a height 

 of about eight to ten inches above the ground. Conifers are 

 less exposed to the danger of attack than the broad-leaved 

 species, among which beech, ash, hazel, and willow appear to 

 be singled out first of all. 



But from a sylvicultural point of view, the greatest amount 

 of damage is done by the water-vole and the bank-vole. The 

 water-vole {A, amphibia) is rather a misnomer for a species 

 of vole which is very often to be found living in the woods 

 far away from water. It does a considerable amount of 

 injury to nurseries and in young crops by biting through 

 roots up to two and even three inches in diameter when 

 forming its runs ; these wounds are most serious when they 

 are made on the tap-roots of oak or ash. This vole seems to 

 prefer poplar, willow, and apple trees to other species, whilst 

 beech and conifers escape injury to a great extent. 



The red field vole {A. glareolus) is unfortunately endowed 

 with an excellent capacity for climbing. It is to be found 

 frequenting the edges of the forest, and in open woods border- 

 ing on arable land, rather than in the depths of large blocks 

 of woodland, where it singles out for its attacks larch, pine, 

 and aspen among the over-wood, and dog-wood and black 

 elder principally among the undergrowth. When once they 

 commence their work of devastation they continue it very 

 assiduously, as they do not wander far from the places where 

 once they take up their abode. Towards the end of October 

 they commence gnawing off the bark in small patches or 

 in strips, and as they continue operations all through the 



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