FEB 7 1916 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



FARMERS' 

 BULLETIN 



Washington, D. C. 



702 



January 17, 1916 



Contribution from the Bureau of Biological Survey, Henry W. Henshaw, Chief. 



COTTONTAIL RABBITS IN RELATION TO TREES 

 AND FARM CROPS. 



By D. E. Lantz, Assistant Biologist. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 



Habits of cottontail rabbits. 



Protection of rabbits 



Means of repressing rabbits. 



Natural enemies 



Hunting 



Trapping 



Poisoning 



Means of repressing rabbits — Continued. 



Bacterial diseases 



Protection of crops from rabbits 



Rabbit-proof fences 



Tree protection 



Washes 



Mechanical contrivances 



Other means 



INTRODUCTION. 



Among the serious pests in orchards and tree plantations are the 

 several native species of rabbits. These animals do considerable 

 damage to garden truck and other farm crops also, especialty on 

 lands recently opened to cultivation. North American rabbits 

 belong to two general classes easily distinguished by their size and 

 habits. 



The larger forms 1 include the arctic and varying hares, or snowshoe 

 rabbits, and the jack rabbits, and are found throughout nearly all 

 of Alaska and Canada and in all the States west of the Mississippi 

 except Arkansas and Louisiana. East of the Mississippi they inhabit 

 the northern parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, most of 

 New York and New England, and southward in the Appalachian 

 Mountains, parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. 



The smaller forms, 2 generally called " cottontail rabbits," occur 

 in every State, but are absent from the greater part of Maine, the 



1 Genus Lepus. 



2 Genus Sylyilagus. 



Note. — This bulletin discusses the distribution and habits of cottontail rabbits and 

 methods of controlling their ravages on trees and cultivated crops by means of trapping, 

 poisoning, and supplying safeguards. For general distribution. 

 14043°— Bull. 702—16 



