Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-01-28
The Tlmid Mole the Farmers Friend.

The itmid Mole the FARMER frienu'
The mole is about six inches in length,
and has no tail Its body is large and
cylindrical, and its snout strong and car
tilaginous. lthas avery thickskin, cover
ed with a fur, short but second 10 70
other animal in iineness. II is claimed 10
hear with articular acutenesS, and has
eyes which il is stated TO be able TO with
draw or project at will.
The mole's principal food is worms
and insects, and it's extremely voraciouS
and fierce. 1t abounds in soft ground,
from which il obtains a great supply OF
food.
The mole is misunderstood. II is a
much-abuSed animal. II is charged with
gnawiug the roots Of fruit trees and gar
den crops, when in reality mice are the
guilty ones. The mole is almost eXclu-
sively insectivorouS in feeding habits, and
burrows through the ground in pursuit OF
insects.
We talk much about our bird friends
and wish them protected, but We often
neglect or kill our animal friends. Among
these by far the best, is the mole. The
white grub is one OF the most expensive
and destructive pests We have, and un-
less their number can be reduced they
threaten 10 take the earth They are the
progeny oil the June bug, which comes
humping against your windows on sum-
mer evenings. They will take posses
sion of piece Of ground and destroy
everything on it, Sometimes large patch
es OF corn, in the richest ground, will be
destroyed. They will often infect sod
grounds and lawns. You have seen grass
lands where the hogs were turned IN and
they ripped up the sod like torn blankets
to get grubs which they destroyed by the
thousands. Sometimes they get into the
nurseries and they never stop TO count the
cost, but destroy plants by the thousands.
Referring 10 the damage done by the
white grub, Professor c. 5. Harrison, OF
the Nebraska Experiment Station, said
that he was abtiouS TO have one OF the
best collections OF perennialS ofthe coun-
try. He raises thousands Of phloxes, and
is engaged in raising new varieties which
are the Joy OF his lie. He noticed that
some of the choices; ones were being
killed by grubs. It was next TO impos-
sible 10 dig them out. They would take
a row OF the best, where the plants were
80 cents apiece, and when they killed one
a sort OF instinct told them 10 keep right
on in the same row, and so plant after
plant was destroyed. Presently he
noticed those little ridges thrown up
which indicated the presence OF moles,
and he said "Nowthe avenger has come. y
You could see how they zigzagged around
and caught the destroyers.
II is supposed that moles eat the roots
of plants. This is wrong; they are AT
ter the grubs and worms. They do moi
eat the roots at all, but they are after the
rascals that do, aud they do love the
white grubs. When Professor Harrison
came 10 dig the phoxes he found gruos
in the rows where they had made their
blind funows. A friend called on him
while he was digging. He saw a mole
al work. "iere, quick, dig him out and
kill him" He had the prevailing spirit
which says Kill him, kill him, 'the spirit
which invents mole traps, But the Pro-
fessor said "No that little fellow IS
one OF my best friends. He is worth -
bill" Complaint is made against him
that he ridges up the lawns and destroys
young plants, but he never goes where
there are no worms or grubs. First, he
prefers white grubs, and nexthe takes The
angle worms.
Now, naturalists may say what they
will regarding the angle worm and how
much good he does in passing great VOL
umes OF earth through his nav, but IN
some sections he is one OF the worst
pests. Where soil is generally light and
friabe, after the angle worm has worked
in it a while il becomes tough and hard.
When dry your hoe will nng on II as It
you were striking bnckbat Such land
dries out very rapidly and its value is re-
duced one half Sometimes moles will
damage young plants by lifting them up so
they dry out, but il does no' take long TO
follow the ridges and tread them down.
What birds are above ground 10 the in
sect pests the mole is TO the hidden enc
mics in the earth.