and young ones which sometimes numbered as
high as ten. My ambition was finally gratified and I was able to get a
mother of eight and her tiny mouslings, which have a habit of fastening
themselves securely to her breasts while she runs about, and drags them
all along in a most ludicrous fashion. At times, under these
circumstances, the combined weight of the brood exceeds that of the
mother mouse but they are exceptionally strong creatures for their size,
a mature mouse being able to jump out of a 3-foot barrel with one leap.
In observing this brood of mice, I was particularly anxious to see what
kind of a diet they throve on and tried the mother's appetite with
tidbits from the table. While she ate most everything, it soon became
apparent that something was wrong because the young ones became weaker,
finally to the extent that they were unable to nurse, and one morning I
found several on their backs with their feet feebly waving in the air
indicating that they were dying of starvation. At about that time I was
drying some hazelnuts on a flat back porch floor and in sweeping them up
found a lot of alive and dried up larvae which had escaped from the
shells. Just for fun, I swept this material up and threw it into the
mouse cage. The reaction of this treatment was gratifying, for the
mother mouse pounced upon this insect life greedily devouring
everything. Within three days, the young mice were all in good health
and running around showing that the milk produced from the diet that I
had been giving the mother was inadequate for the baby mice. It is
therefore to their credit to state that these mice and probably at times
the meadow mice do consume large quantities of larvae and grubs in the
surface soil, as well as mature active insects, such as crickets and
grasshoppers.

HOW TO PREPARE RODENT PROTECTORS FOR TREES

1. Cut 6" strips from 24" wide roll of galvanized screen with a 12 x 12
mesh.

2. Cut strips in half to make two protectors from each strip.

3. Make bundles of 25 each by running wire through protectors.

4. Dip these bundles in a solution containing 5 pounds of red lead per
gallon of linseed oil. Use from 3 to 5 gallons of this solution.

5. Remove bundles and hang them on a pole with a drip pan beneath to
catch the solution, which can be used again. Allow bundles to drip for 8
hours, then separate each protector and place on grass for a few days to
dry.

6. Roll each protector around a 3/4" pipe