Protect Your Fruit Trees from M ice 
A SERIOUS MENACE.—Two Winters ago mice 
caused liavoc in orchards by partially or com¬ 
pletely girdling thousands of apple, pear, peach and 
plum trees. In some cases the injury was repaired, 
at considerable expense, by bridge-grafting, but many 
growers were unable to get the work done, with the 
result' that they lost their trees. Whole orchards 
were abandoned because of mice injury. The mice 
did not confine their efforts to young orchards; old 
trees 40, 50, or more years of age, were completely 
girdled. With a repetition of the above-mentioned 
conditions staring the orchardist in the face, he 
naturally asks, “What can I do to prevent the mice 
from injuring my fruit trees this coming Winter?" 
Indications are that unless immediate measures are 
taken, mice injury will be very serious again this 
Winter. Some orchardists have already reported 
mice injuring their trees, and others that the mice 
are present in the orchards. With a heavy snow¬ 
fall, and a long cold Winter, fruit trees left unpro¬ 
tected are almost certain to be gnawed by mice. 
VARIETIES OF MICE.—There are two kinds of 
mice which infest orchards: the common meadow 
mice, which work on the surface of the ground, hav¬ 
ing runways under the grass and 
weeds, and the pine mice, which have 
burrows, like moles, and work more on 
the roots of the trees. Because of this 
fact, injury by pine mice is very likely 
to be overlooked until the tree begins 
to show signs of dying. 
PROTECTIVE METHODS.—Several 
methods of protection could be given, 
but the following should be practiced 
at once: The use of poisoned bait, 
clearing away from the base of the tree 
all rubbish, and the protection of the 
trunk by wire, paper or banking with 
earth. Some people hesitate to use the 
poisoned bait on account of the danger 
to birds, fowls, etc, but if care is ex¬ 
ercised in the distribution of the bait 
this danger is reduced to the minimum. 
As there are two kinds of mice in most 
orchards, the grower must either deter¬ 
mine which one is more numerous, or 
else provide for both. Poisoned mash 
or grain is used for the common 
meadow mice, and poisoned sweet 
potato for the pine mice. 
PREPARING POISON.—The follow¬ 
ing directions for preparation of the 
poisoned bait are taken from Extension 
Bulletin No. 26 of the Connecticut 
Agricultural College. Storrs. Conn,, 
page S: 
Oatmeal Formula.—Dissolve one-six¬ 
teenth ounce of strychnine in one pint 
of boiling water and pour it over as 
much oatmeal (about 2 lbs. common 
rolled oats) as it will wet. Mix well 
until all the grain is moistened. Put it 
out, a teaspoonful at a place, under 
shelter of weeds, brush piles or wide 
boards. The poisoned meal is adapted 
for killing either meadow or pine mice, 
but for the latter sweet potatoes, prepared as fol¬ 
lows, have proved even more effective: 
Potato Formula.—Cut sweet potatoes into pieces 
about the size of grapes. Place three quarts of these 
cut baits in a pan or bucket and from a salt shaker 
sift over them one-eighth ounce of powdered strych¬ 
nine mixed with an equal quantity of baking soda, 
stirring constantly, so that the poison is evenly dis¬ 
tributed. (Poison should be applied as soon as pota¬ 
toes are cut, and bait should be put out while fresh). 
One or two pieces of the bait should be dropped into 
the mouse tunnels through the natural openings, or 
through openings made with the finger. Mole run¬ 
ways should be similarly poisoned, as they usually 
harbor pine mice. 
SYSTEMATIC CARE.—The mouse tunnels are 
usually extensive, and reach to several trees. If all 
the tree rows are systematically poisoned, placing 
the baits in two or three freshly used holes at or 
near each tree, it mil not be necessary to poison the 
area between the tree rows. A strip around the bor¬ 
der of the orchard should also be treated. Poisoning 
mice late in the Fall should be made one of the 
routine practices of every successful orchardist in 
an infested area. In an orchard of average infesta¬ 
tion, the cost of poisoning, including poisoning sup¬ 
plies and labor, should not exceed 25 to 35 cents per 
acre. Care must be exercised, and do not allow the 
poisoned utensils to be used for feeding or watering 
live stock. The safe plan is to destroy the utensils, 
or else put them away to use again next year. 
* S. P. HOLLISTER. 
Connecticut Agricultural College. 
Methods for Sprouting Oats 
Will you tell us what methods poultrymen are using 
for sprouting oats for chicken feed? Is the “lard tub” 
method practiced? A. L. w. 
URING the warm weather we use the lard tub 
method, using four tubs for the purpose. The 
first day we fill the tubs about one-half full of 
oats, fill the tub full of water, allowing the oats 
to soak for 24 hours. The next day we draw 
the water off. fill the tub with fresh water, and after 
the oats have soaked in this water for about one 
hour we draw it off. The third day repeat the same 
process, pouring the oats from one tub to another, so 
that they will be thoroughly aerated, and there will 
he no molding. The fourth day we repeat the same 
process, soaking the oats for about one hour. By 
the end of the fourth day, in warm weather, the 
sprouted oats will be about y» in. long. It is in this 
condition that we like to feed them. I believe the 
secret of successful sprouting by this method is to 
use good clean oats. Secondly, to wash and soak 
them thoroughly the first day, and to aerate them 
each day to prevent molding. During this time of 
the year, when it is so cold that oats will not sprout 
readily, we scald them in the same tubs, taking about 
one-half tub of oats and pouring one teakettle of 
scalding hot water over them, immediately covering 
them with two bags, and feeding them in about two 
hours’ time. This product is probably not quite 
equal to the sprouted grain, but it certainly comes 
very near to it. There are many ways of sprouting 
oats, a number of them very efficient. The best one 
to use depends to a considerable extent upon the 
facilities which a man has for sprouting. 
Rhode Island. harry r. lewis. 
I do not use lard tubs or butter tubs for sprouting 
oats, but ordinary 2 y 2 or three-bushel barrels sawed 
in two, boring about five *4-in. holes in the bot¬ 
tom for drainage. I soak the oats over night in 
water with a temperature of about 100 to 110 de¬ 
grees, putting about 10 quarts of dry oats in each of 
two 16-quart galvanized water buckets. I find the two 
buckets of oats nearly swollen full the following 
morning, when I put them in a waiting scrubbed half¬ 
barrel for sprouting. I then spray them again with 
100 degrees water and repeat two or tln*ee times in 
every 24 hours, and turn them thoroughly each time 
before spraying. In mild weather I spray the oats 
with cold water after the second day. I sprout out¬ 
doors in the shade in warm weather and in a cellar 
in cold weather. The two things to guard against 
are overheating and mold. Overheating can be over, 
come by turning and spraying the sprouting oats 
often, and mold can be prevented by scrubbing the 
oat tubs thoroughly. I feed the sprouted oats when 
about six days old. I use six tubs in my operations, 
feeding out one daily and refilling it. 
New Jersey. gus Walters. 
We believe that the method of sprouting oats in 
trays is a more pi’actical method than using a lard 
tub. Briefly speaking, our method of sprouting oats 
is as follows: Place about half a pailful of oats in 
a pail, and then fill the pail with 
water. Keep the pail in a fairly warm 
temperature and allow it to stand for 
24 hours. During this time the oats 
will soak up the water. The oats may 
be spread out on trays at a thickness 
of about 1 in. In three or four days 
the oats will commence to sprout, and 
should be fed in about one week, at the 
rate of one square inch per bird daily. 
Trays for sprouting should preferably 
have metal perforated bottoms, so that 
if the oats are sprinkled while they are 
sprouting, water may drain off. It is 
customary to have six or seven trays 
on a rack, starting one tray each day, 
always feeding off the top one. and 
placing a new tray each day on the 
bottom of the rack. < >ne thing in con¬ 
nection with sprouting might be noted: 
Tt. is a good idea to place one or two 
drops of formalin in the water while 
the oats are soaking as a preventive of 
mold. GEORGE W. HERVEY. 
New Jersey Agricultural College. 
Farm Tractor in Cold Weather 
REEZING.—The first principle in 
the Winter care of the tractor is 
to watch the cooling system to avoid 
freezing. Some may depend on an 
anti-freezing solution, but oftentimes 
with the use of this the temperature is 
a number of degrees below freezing. 
If the cooling system is drained, and 
hot water carefully turned into the 
radiator, the temperature of the motor 
can be brought appreciably above 
freezing in cold weather. However, 
extreme care should be taken in case 
the motor is frosted in the matter of 
applying water more than lukewarm. The radiator 
may quickly freeze- with a temperature only slightly 
below the freezing point. Drain the radiator imme¬ 
diately, and be sure all water is removed. One 
farmer had considerable expense in overhauling his 
radiator. He opened the drain cock, started the 
flow, and went about other work. Sediment iu the 
radiator stopped the flow, and freezing resulted. 
The freezing of the cooling system very frequently 
injures the cylinder block, and almost invariably 
breaks the outside of the block. There are several 
other methods of repairing this which are less ex¬ 
pensive than radiator repair. 
AVOIDING DISASTER.—The water in the air 
washer should be drained as well. Freezing at this 
point will not cause damage other than injuring this 
particular part of the motor. Warm water used here 
will raise the temperature of the air drawn into the 
motor, and likewise the temperature of the fuel will 
be brought nearer the ignition point. In order for 
a fuel charge to ignite, its temperature must be raised 
to a certain point. A warm motor is more easily 
started than a cold one. Iu case it is necessary to 
prime the motor use high test gasoline, or a mixture 
of one part ether to five parts gas. I have poured 
Using Pine Boughs to Cover Tender Plants. Fig. 60S 
Hotbed with Cement Frame. Fig. 609 
