The Garland globe. [volume] (Garland, Utah) 1906-191?, 1908-09-26
TAKING CARE OF ORCHARDS.
Protect Your Fruit Trees from
Rodents This Winter.

III IIull trees HUN ldD
bits and other rodents, | first clear
the vicinity of the base of the tree
of all rubbish. Then | remove some
of the dirt from around the base OF
the tree. After that ! take a strip
of cloth 30 inches long and " inches
wide and begin as low on the trunk
OF the tree as possible, wrapping the
trunk tightly with the cloth, drawing
II little diagonally upward as
wrap If II is started right II will
inclose the trunk IS or 20 inches high.
] then fasten the strip and put back
the clean dirt around the trunk of the
tree. ] have found this to be good
way to protect the tree from rabbits
and mice.
Wire screen will do as we'll or bet.
ter but II Is more expensive. have
occasionally had rabbits bark trees
early in the fall, and have had large
per cent. of nursery stock and young
set trees ruined by mice In the early
fall, even before frost. says a writer in
Farmers Review, but only in times
of drought, and that on land that was
trashy, weedy or grassy. I think they
Enaw the bark for the moisture
they obtain In II, rather than for the
food.
| have never been annoyed by the
mice on clean nursery land, as no
rodent will tarry long where he has
no shelter The rodent naturally
seeks shelter on weedy or grassy
land and will live on what he can find
In the vicinity. have had trees that
were newly set In the orchard and
which were mulched with manure,
barked six inches below the surface
Of the mulchlng. SO I believe that
a man should either keep the land
clean or protect the trees from early
fall till late spring.
Az TO the age at which trees are
most likely to be attacked | find that
the younger the tree and the tenderer
the bark, the more likely is the tree
to be attacked. II the bark of tree
remains tender no tree, whatever its
age, Is immune from the attack of
mice and other rodents. In orchards
where the ground was covered with
rubbish, grass and weeds ! have seen
trees II to Is years old ruined by
both rabbits and mice.
Pear trees and apple trees are most
often attacked by rabbits and mice.
Then come the peach and plum trees.
The bark on the latter trees becomes
rigid earlier than the bark on apple
aud pear trees and that Is why the
plum and peach trees are not so often
attacked.
For protection, my neighbors have
used strips of cloth, wire screen, stub.
BILE or cornstalks tied around the
trunks of young trees The latter Is
Il protection against the rabbits, but
think 1t is harbor for the mice
The strip of cloth is as effective rs
any thing | have tried and much the
cheaper. II is easily applied and
costs about nothing, as any old cast.
Off clothes will furnish the material
know of no one using the liquid
wash here to protect the trees against
rodents.
For the other enemies of fruit trees
] uso a wash consisting of pretty
strong solution of soap and water for
both trunk and branch. | find that
this keeps the tree healthy and Wig.
orous, and induces n strong growth.
In climates or regions where deep
SHOWS fall and lie for long periods.
the trees should be protected above
the snow, as in times when the snow
stays for long periods is when the
rabbits do the greatest damage
Thorough and clean cultivation for
both the nursery and newly set
orchard will always be worth the
labor applied. Success is not possible
In the orchard II careless methods are
followed, any more than II careless
methods are followed in other kinds
OF business,