Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 288, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 December 1911 — Tree Destroyers. [ARTICLE]

Tree Destroyers.

Porcupines are good climbers, and when unable to get enough apples wind-blown to ton ground, swarm a tree and cut down the finest bearing limbs as quickly and neatly as a beaver can sever the trunk of a young hemlock. Besides that, when other food is scarce they nibble toe bark off young apple trees, and can destroy a newly planted orchard in a short time. They also are a great enemy to the young spruce, but why they cut them is a mystery, as it is not found ’ that they even eat toe tenderest shoots.