OCR Text |
Show Mice and Rabbits Damage Fruit Trees During Snow The deep snows of winter, beneficial bene-ficial as they are In restoring to the subsoil some of the reserve of moisture mois-ture which was depleted during the long drought period, nevertheless have brought about a condition injurious in-jurious to the fruit belt in the eastern east-ern states, says the Washington Star. Field mice and rabbits, unable to reach their normal food supplies, turn to fruit trees, especially apple trees, for food. They gnaw through the outer bark to reach the cambium layer and inner bark and often circle cir-cle the entire trunk in their search for food. When this occurs it becomes be-comes vital that the trees be bridge-grafted, bridge-grafted, else the trees will die. Trees which must be so treated need prompt attention. Scions to be used in the grafting should be cut and held in cold storage until spring when the grafting should be started at the first indications that the sap Is rising. In the meantime, dirt must be piled up over the wound In the tree to prevent drying. |