Show ii MICE DO MUCH INJURY TO FARM C CROPS 7 Q POW vaz 1 x ak A OR I 1 al fa I 1 1 LN p rose rf hodge ho injured by field mice young pear tree destroyed by field mice prepared by the united states department of agriculture pine mice occur throughout tho eastern portion of tile tho united states stales and do much harm harin to fruit and ornamental mental trees and shrubs as well as to garden produce and other farm crops pine mite mice are seldom seen on account of at their mol ellko habits tor for they live in their own underground t W A 1 in w P apple tree injured by meadow mice burrows or in mole runways the presence ot at these mice in molo mole burrows can usually bo be detected by an occasional opening that they makoto the surface from the runway dunway pine mice aro are riot pot so prolific aai as their near relatives tho the meadow mice but protected as aa they aro are by their underground habits they sometimes become abnormally abundant this Is especial apparent in states elates where hawks I 1 and owls which are arc enemies of those rodents aro are continuously persecuted the mice live upon roots seeds sue bulent vegetation and bark ol at young trees and aro are very destructive to sweet potatoes and other tubers as well as to trees and shrubs tho the most practical method of controlling this pest is by poisoning sweet potatoes cut into small email pieces havo have proved to bo be tile tho most effective bait they aro are prepared as follows sweet potato bait cut sweet potatoes into pieces about tile the size alzo of largo large gropes moisten tour four quarts ol at these and drain oft off excess moisture slowly sift over them ono eighth ot at an ounce ot of powdered strychnine alkaloid using a for the ho purpose tind and ofir constantly to ats H lauto A the poison evenly ono or two pieces of tho the poisoned sweet potatoes should bo be dropped into ellb tunnels through tho the natural openings or through openings made with a stick A systematic use of this poison invariably results in an almost complete extermination of pine mice these pests aro are also easly trapped but owing to the extra time and labor required this method does docs not compare favorably fayora bly with poisoning |