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ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

of that method; and the probability, or rather certainty, of a transplanted oakmaking a tree as large or larger, and in less time, than a tree from the acornsown or planted in the place where it is intended finally to remain. In theforests mentioned, the short-tailed, or field, mouse, the rooks, and variousvermin, took the acorns out of the holes, and caused a great deficiency in theplants at first coming up ; but the destructive ravages of that little animal thefield mouse were not fully known till the third year from the commencementof planting the acorns. Great quantities of the small oak plants from theacorn were then found barked and bitten off, particularly where the grass wasthick; and nearly all the ash that had been planted in the wet and moist groundswere barked all round the stem in the same manner as the oaks; only moreso, as the mice seemed to be fonder of the ash than of the oak bark. The hareswere first supposed to have done the mischief; but, on examining the plantsmore minutely, quantities of the excrement of the field mouse were found nearevery plant that had been barked or nibbled, except in the case of thoseplants which were not surrounded by grass or herbage of any kind. All suchplants remained untouched by the mice; and the reason is, that, where the micehad not the shelter of grass and herbage, they were exposed to their naturalenemies, the hawk, the owl, &c. Attempts were made to catch the mice by“ cats, dogs, owls, poison, traps, baits,” &c., but with very little success ; tillat length it was discovered by accident that, when a mouse had got into a holein the ground with perpendicular sides, it could not get out again. In con-quence of this discovery, holes about 18 in. deep, and somewhat wider at bot-tom than at top, were dug, at 20 yards apart each way, over a surface of about3200 acres. “ The holes were made from 18in. to 2ft. long, 16in. or 18in. deep,about 10 in., or the breadth of a spade, wide at the top, 14 in. or 15 in. wide atthe bottom, and 3 in. or 4 in. longer at the bottom than the top: if the groundwas firm, so much the better. Some holes were made in a circular form ; butthis was only a work of fancy, which cost more trouble than the oblong holes,as either sort answered, provided they were well made, the sides firm and even,and that they were 3 in. or 4 in. wider every way at the bottom than at the top;otherwise the mice would run up the sides, and get out again, if they could findany footing. But, if the holes were well made, when the mice were once in,they could not get out again; and, what is very extraordinary, they wouldreally eat each other when left long in the holes.” {Facts, &c., p. 42.) In wetor stormy nights, the mice got into the holes in the greatest numbers; but incalm, dry, or frosty nights, very few entered them. New holes were moreattractive to the vermin than old ones. Baits of various kinds were put intothem; but the baited holes were never found to contain more mice than theunbaited ones. Fifteen mice have been taken in a hole in one night. “ Some-times the holes were made in the bottoms of the drains, where there was nota constant run of water, as the mice appeared to run along the drains; and agreat many were caught in these holes. The people who made the holes, ofcourse, looked after the mice, and were paid for them by the dozen. Theywere obliged to attend to the holes to take the mice out very early in themornings, otherwise the crows, magpies, hawks, owls, weasels, and other ver-min, attended very regularly, and made the first seizure. Several of thesedepredators were caught in the fact, by the men dropping on them suddenly.We soon caught upwards of 30,000, that were paid for by number, as two per-sons were appointed to take an account of them, and see them buried or madeaway with, to prevent imposition.” (p. 43.) Mr. Billington found oak treescut down by the mice of 7 ft. and 8 ft. high, and 1J in. in diameter at the placebitten offi which was just at the root, within the ground, and, as it were, betweenthe root and the stem : in short, at what botanists call the collar. “ Whenexamining for the thick part of the root, below where it was bitten off,” hesays, “ I never could find any part of it left; so that it is very probable it musthave been eaten by them.” (p. 45.) Mr. Billington also found the micepretty numerous, and very troublesome, in the royal forest at Chopwell; moreespecially before the great snow in 1823, which destroyed many of them, and