The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1909-11-11
PROTECTING TREES FROM THE
RABBITS.


sues a Bulletin to Tree Growers.
New Mexico College Of Agri-
culture.-Many fruit and shade
trees are lost annually by being
girdled by rabbits. The season
in which most of the damage is
done is during the winGer months.
As that season is approaching it
would be well for the orchardist
to have in mind some form of
protection for his trees in order to
prevent such a loss, says a bulle-
tin just issued at the college.
With regard to remedies, there
are several advocated, and these
are usually of two forms. The
trunk of the tree is either paint
ell with some solution or wrapped
with some materal. Many patent
protectors are On tnt .Au..y5.
such as wire coils and thin sheets
of wood. The wire col protector
slips over the tree and can be
left on the year around and until
the tree gets too large tor the
soil. Then it must be removed
The price of these protectors is
about 81. 25per 100. When the
sheets of wood are used they are
put on the trees in the fall and
are removed in the spring. A
strip OF the wood sufficiently
large to extend around the tree
is used. 1t is tied on with some
kind of cord, care being taken to
tie it firmly so it will stay. There
are many more methods of pro-
tectlng the trees than the above,
but only the two used at the
station by the horticultural de-
partment will be described in the
bulletin. These are as follows:
Lime wash with arsenate of
lead. Paint the trunks Of the
trees with lime wash made rath-
er thick to which has been added
about one-half pound of arsenate
of lead to each pailful of wash.
The lime wash is made in the
usual manner by mixing lime and
water. After adding the arsen-
ate of lead the whole mixture.
should be thoroughly stirred to-
mix the poison with the wash.
This wash is put on with an ordi-
nary paint brush and the trunk
of the tree should be covered as
high as the rabbits can reach. 1t
should be renewed ifthere is any
indication Of injury to the trees
by rabbits. One-haH pound Of
Paris green may be substituted
for the arsenate of lead.
| Wrapping trees with paper.
The trunks of the trees are.
wrapped with paper, the paper
being tied on with cord to hold
it in place. Old newspapers may
be used for the above purpose,
the care necessary being, to see
that the paper entirely covers the
trunk of the tree high enough to
prevent the rabbits reaching the
exposed portion above the paper
The two last remedies mention
ed and described were used dur
ling the past winter and spring at
the station and they gave entire
satisfaction. The latter method
of wrapping the trunks Of the
trees with paper is the cheaper
Of the two and If the proper care
is exercised in putting on the
paper. no other protection will be
removed in the latter part Of
spring after danger from rabbits
gnawing the tree is past.
The planter should not Tail to
pay particular attention to this
matter of protecting his trees
during winter. A little care ex-
pended along this line will save
his trees from injury, and will
more than pay the expense. The
time to begin this protection is
just &c econ as the leaves fall and
before any damage is done.
j.. E. Mundell.
OLD PAPERE-For Sala