Show TREES NEED protection DURING WINTER MONTHS MONTH S horticulturist SAYS december is the time to prevent damage from rodents such as rabbits and mice and to minimize the danger dancer of winter injury to young tr trees ces professor F C coo coe of the utah state agricultural college advises thousands of fruit trees have been killed or severely injured by girdling caused by field f mice and other rodents that live around the trunks of the trees under the snow in the grass and weeds weeda damage can be prevented by poisoning the rodents with treated grain but removing alie th e weeds from about the trunks of tile the trees and tramping the snow down after er heavy snow falls has also proved effective professor coe says if poison grain is used it should be scattered along irrigation ditches pastures or hay lands surrounding orchards in the orchard itself the bait should be placed against the trunks of the trees in tin cans which are bent or inverted and covered with grass and weeds to keep the water and snow from running in and causing the grain to mold if the rodents are numerous every tree should be baited ed otherwise alternate trees on alternate rows are sufficient professor coe explains rabbit habbit injury to trees is also a problem that can be overcome by using poisoned carrots apples or hay leaves scattered on cold days following snow storms wire mesh protectors are re also useful in preventing rabbit injuries but will not protect young trees when the snow drifts high above the protectors |