Show 0 0 I I 0 il d Rabbits and Field Mice Injure Young Orchards It Is very disheartenIng to discover during or at the close ot of the winter many thrifty young apple peach veach and pear trees girdled by rabbits and mIce Precautions should be taken to protect the trees before a heavy fall ot of snow mow Blood sprinkled or painted upon the stems from the ground up to 16 10 feet teet above the surface will keep oft ot rabbits but not field mice The attacks ot of rabbits are made above the surface ot of the snow whilo mIce usually operate beneath and close to the ground They often eat the bark of the roots whIch are partially covered covered cov- cov ered by grass and weeds This however however how how- ever Is not very serious they usually eat the tender bark ot off the main stem and often the entire bark oft off the branches thus causing the death ot of the tree One year we lost Jost a large number of thrifty apple and pear trees that had been painted with blood and the snow tramped down around the trees as a further protection against both rabbIts and mice says a writer In an exchange We have found the best protection we could use and the cheapest to be heavy roofing felt Tarred sheathing paper Is lighter and costs less than the former but It Is not as durable as It ItIs itis Is liable to wash oft off The way to apply the felt Is to dig the ground about two Inches deep from around the tree taken take n a strip ot of the felt wrap It round the stem from the bottom of the trench clear up to the first branches tack the folds then shovel the earth close up allaround all allaround around and pack It firm with the foot This will effectually prevent mice cutting cutting cut cut- ting the tender bark under the sno snow and the rabbIts from gnawing the bark above the snow If the fall ot of snow Is very deep and the weather extremely cold rabbits will frequently gnaw the bark off orr the lower limbs ot of the trees the only way to prevent thIs Is to tramp the snow around each tree solid soUd as soon V as It falls J V V |