Evening star., 1948-11-01
This and That
BIZ Charles Y, Trace,peu
"TAKOMA PARK.


rs there anything can get to feed rabbits
and chipmunks? Both of these have showed
up IN my yard for the first time In the II
years we have been here
The whole family Is delighted and would
like to know If there is any food we can get
Tor them. and when to put it out. and how
much
Rabbits are fayorites here. Some peonle
Just want to kin them.. but our family has
always delighted in watching them
! have never understood this insane desire
OF so many to kill everything unfamiliar. It
must be the base OF all wars
. III there Is any food can get, let me know.
anu the RABBITS, the chipmunks and I will
thank you. Sincerely, r. De s."
=
There is little rabbits will eat If put out by
human hands
The wild creatures are properly suspicious
OF all that smells of the great killer
That long rife has been burned into the
mind and heart Of every wild thing.
How can they know what one Is up to7
We have tried repeatedly to lure wild rab-
bits by putting out carrots, lettuce and alfalfa
pellets.
One cold winter big old fellow took I'D his
residence, II so 1t might have been called in
slight depression on the west side of the
garage.
There he would be seen In the cold, on the
slight strip of grass on which there was no
snow.
He seemed 50 lonely there, so hungry. we
went and got him big sack of alfalfa pellet
food, the sort used to feed Gagged rabbits.
One might have thought he would have
eaten 1t, but he simply remained there side
by side with IT. not even smelling it.
After he had ignored 1t for three weeks, we
took 1t up, and tried lettuce and carrots.
Nice orange carrots, hugely expensive, left
him unimpressed.
Crisp lettuce was similarly overlooked.
What were the canes of few rose bushes
and the bark of the bottom of some trees, in
comparison with the health OF this beautiful
wild creature?
Perhaps some shelter can be made for a
wild rabbit by making bed of leaves and
grass under some projection
That is about as much as one can do to
attract them.
The fare they need is natures. It must
smell. to them. fresh from her hand, not ours.
AS for the chipmunks, they will take almost
anything fed to the wild birds
Hence sunfiower seeds, and the rest included
in good bird feed mixture, will appeal to
them.
If designed to lure them, a small feeding
station stocked with seeds is best placed on the
ground, not too far from their burrows
Some little search will be necessary to find
the entrances.
Often there are as many as half dozen
OF these, opening into runways at various
points, all connected, SO that the animal may
make quick getaway when necessary
The amount Of food stored away for the
winter is quite large.
AS much as half q bushel of seeds acorns
and the Ike will be hidden in some central
chamber.
Most often the den will be not too far away
from some pile OF rock, rock wall, or rocky
step construction. Any one Of these is q
natural hiding site for this engaging animal.
The main entrance may be found near one
corner of the rock work. The other doors to
runways are scattered, as BELTS Of the work
of bright creature.
Most Of our suburban gardens have squirrels
all the time, and rabbits now and then but
not all of them. by any means, have chip
munks. We have never seen one in 18 years
In nearby Maryland
1t is all right to try to appeal to rabbits and
chipmunks with food. Whether they eat It
or not is their own business. But after all, the
main attraction for them is comparative safety,
and the householder who tries to protect them
will have done as much for them rs he can
hope to do.