Reports to various Correspondents. 55 
apple, but frequently in other trees— field mice nearly always being 
the culprits.” 
Observations have since been made which prove this damage to 
be due to the mice; cobnuts and filberts were attacked in exactly the 
same way in my garden, and the mouse ( Mus sylvccticus) caught in 
the trees. 
Mr. Frederick Smith, of Loddington, informs me he has frequently 
noticed this damage done by mice and that he traps them beneath 
the trees to prevent the damage. 
ANIMALS INJURIOUS TO HOPS. 
Slugs in Hop Gardens. 
Mr. E. Callow, of Court Lodge Farm, East Farleigh, Kent, wrote 
in May, that “ Mid-Kent, especially the Farleighs, are infested in most 
hop gardens by the ‘ slug ’ — small black ones and larger brown ones. 
They seem to come in the gardens near fruit plantations, and we can 
only keep them back by continual liming, on the top of the ‘ hills,’ 
dusting with a piece of hop sack. The bine has been eaten off twice, 
and will, if it comes, come very late. Anyhow, with the most 
favourable weather, a large crop cannot be grown in the infested 
gardens.' Our neighbour has a garden which always is eaten off with 
slug for the past five years. Do they frequent poor gardens ? Do 
they increase where the gardens are weedy ? What is the life of 
these slugs, the best way to get rid of this pest, and when ? ” 
The following reply was sent : — 
“ Slugs are abundant everywhere this year. I enclose you 
a paper which deals with these pests and also snails (vide 
pp. 57-64). 
“ They do not frequent poor gardens more than others ; in fact, I 
think excessive manure (farmyard) encourages them. 
“ One can keep them down in gardens by putting heaps of oat- 
meal or bran (wet) about, and collecting the slugs off the heaps in 
wet weather, or at night. Soot and lime is better than lime alone. 
I am trying some experiments at Wye at present, and will let you 
know the results.” 
Various substances were tried against slugs; soot and lime kept 
them off peas and beans for a time, but had to be repeatedly used, and 
was only successful when applied on two or three occasions at short 
