This time of year, after the snow has receded, The Heirloom Orchardist will sometimes discover damage caused by mice at the base of his/her fruit trees. The little critters seem to enjoy the nice juicy cambium layer, where all the active growth takes place. Often the damage completely encircles the trunk, girdling it. 
To avoid this devastation, The Heirloom Orchardist needs to place protection around his/her trees before the winter sets in. What should be used? Here’s some advice from an Orchardist who signed his name “H.”
The Genesee Farmer
Rochester, Saturday, April 14, 1832
Vol. II, No. 15
In the season when bark peels easily, I took the bark from forest trees of equal size with the fruit trees, as nearly as possible, by splitting it upon one side and turning it off whole, or in one piece, about two and a half or three feet in length. These pieces I preserved until the millers, worms, &c. had disappeared, (that they might not seek shelter behind my barks) and then I applied them round the trunks of the trees to be preserved. The tougher kinds of bark will usually spring so as to pass them round the tree. The lower end, being square will come fully down to the ground, and a little earth raised outside of it will exclude the mice. The bark should be tied so as to draw the opening together, and in this way I avoided he depredations of that mischievous little animal.
There you have it: Go into the woods when bark slips easily and remove it from existing trees to use as tree guards. This seems like a lot of effort to protect ones fruit trees. Couldn’t The Heirloom Orchardist have wrapped his trees with something else? Somethimg more readily available? Well, let’s think of what else this Orchardist had at his disposal in 1832.
Newspaper? Perhaps, but it wasn’t very plentiful. In 1832, paper was high quality, expensive stuff made from cotton (often recycled cotton rags). It wasn’t the cheap acid-rich wood pulp stuff that’s so ubiquitous today. If an Orchardist was fortunate enough to subscribe to some sort of periodical, such as the Genessee Farmer, the issues were often saved, then sent to the local bookbinder at the end of the year.
Rags? Nope. These were much too valuable than to wrap your fruit trees with. Any fabric was saved, used for mending, making rugs or other domestic articles. Plus, I’m sure a cozy rag would attract the mice.
Leather? Much too expensive. And leather articles were used, repaired, used and repaired, year after year. Unless the Orchardist lived near a tannery, there wasn’t going to be much leather scrap available.
Anything else? It’s an interesting question. Put yourself in the shoes (or boots) of the 1832 Orchardist, and ponder this a moment. Leave a comment below with any ideas you may have, ‘cause I’d enjoy pondering with you. And while you ponder, get tree guards made from plastic. Get them now, while mice damage is fresh on your mind, and you won’t be scrambling this fall.
 "36"" Tree Bark Protectors" |
