The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-03-25
TREATMENT OF YOUNG TREES
INJURED BY JACK
RABBITS

| 1t would be hard to estimate tn,
damage done to young fruit trees OF
this tract by jack rabbits during thu
past winter. Fifteen hundred apple
trees belonging to Mr.. Bedson, neal
Acequia, were completely barked b,
the pests, and this is no exceptiona
case. Many settlers supposed tha
rabbit fences would keep out the rab
bits but the snow has drifted so deeI
that they were able to walk right oveJ
the fences on the drifts.
Settlers who have sukered damage
in this way have been seeking infor.
nation as to what could be done tc
save trees after they had been barked
by rabbits. O. F. Smith, the Black.
foot nursery man, who was in Rupert
last week, gave some valuable advice
on this subject. He states that if the
young trees are cut off close to the
ground, they are almost certain to
sprout up. In some cases there will
be two or three sprouts. All of these
should be permitted to grow until
1t is seen which is the most vigorous,
and the others should then be cut out.
AS these young shoots have excep-
tlonally strong roots, they will grow
very rapidly and in five years the tree
will be as far advanced as though it
had never been cut back.
In line with Mr.. Smiths advice w.
H. Herman has received a letter from
the bureau of plant industry at Wash
ington on the same subject, which
reads as follows:
Dear sir: Your letter of February
e, addressed to the honorable secre-
tary of agriculture, about young ap-
pie trees which have been girdled by
rabbits, has been referred to this Of
flee.
Whenever the trees are not COM
pletely girdled careful painting with
good white lead paint, linseed OIL or,
possibly better yet, with liquid graft
ing wax, or ordinary grating wax
slightly warmed will help in healing
over the wound and make the new
trunk. Very young trees, one or two
years old, can often be cut off with
a sharp knife two to four inches from
the ground, or just below the girdle,
and will throw out strong sprouts. BY
driving stakes around these trees, or
otherwise protecting, and giving high
culture, buds will push out and a
strong new growth will come during
the growing season. You may have
several twigs three to four feet, even
six feet high. 1t is better to pinch
back the undesirable twigs and give
the best sprout the lead In the next
springs pruning all can be cut off
but one sprout. This might work on
on trees three to four years of age,
but there would be more loss than on
one to tWo-year old trees.
Trees three to four years or older
can be saved by bridge grating. This
of cutting scions or twigs of |
any desirable variety, usually whips a
foot or more in length, and keeping
hem in cool place until growth has
begun in the spring. Then use these
or bridge grating. AS soon as the
park will slip, or even before it will
'llp easily, cut cross slit or both a
critical and cross slit in the bark near
he edge of the wound, one above and
me below the space stripped of bark.
Then, having cut the scions slightly
onger than this space. slip the ends
INTO the Sits and wax thoroughly and
lie. 1t is desirable to use, on a six
nch tree, six scions for bringing over
he injured spot.
Yours very truly, |
"B. M. WAITE,
"Pathologist in Charge, Fruit Dis
ase Investigation. Rupert Pioneer