”Plagues of mice '.

’Storms and ga/es ’.

Beech (.7) trees fe/l.

Forest fires.

62. Do you know anything of a plague of mice, and when did it happen?

Alexander Anderson: I remember the crops to have been destroyed by mice. I cannot recollect the date.

John Brooks: The plague of mice was before I came here. Old Mr. Beck remembers it well. They cut grain off close to the ground, and then cut it up into junks 3 or 4 inches long. Some people dug deep trenches round the grain, and destroyed great quantities of mice, but their numbers [seemed down?] until they all disappeared at once.

Will/am Jenkins: About 74 years ago. Trenches had to be dug around fields and tin pans and bells rattled to drive them from the fields. I have helped dig those trenches and drive them from the fields myself.

Neil McCal/um: In the latter end of the 18 century Mice were very troublesome and trenches were dug to destroy them in.

Lawrence Peters: I know of a Plague of Mice in Souris 60 years ago destroying all the Crops. So great were the numbers when they took to the Sea and a boat could scarcely be rowed through them.

Peter Praught: Yes | knowed of a plague of mice and people had to dig drains round their crops to keep them away, and it happened about 60 years ago.

John B. Schurman: I have heard of that too but it was before I recollect and I cannot tell the year.

William Sencabaugh: There was an armey of mice that cut down great deal of wheat in the autom that same year [i.e. ”1802 or 03”]. Thay where seen of the Block house going for novasotia by thousands and tens thousands.

Peter Sinott: ln Souris about 1823 or 4 mice destroyed the stacks 81 crops of grain.

[no name # 7]: In the year 1791 the mice destroyed almost everything.

63. Do you know anything of a great storm called the Michaelmas Gale. and when was it?

John Brooks: I remember a great storm on the 13‘h of Sept. 1839, which swept over this part like a hurricane, the trees were in leaf and loaded with nuts, and the grOund was soft with rain, and the woods fell before the wind, like a field of grain before a heavy roller.

64. Do you know anything of fires laying waste considerable sections of the country, and are their effects still perceptible? Alexander Anderson: i do, and their effects are seen to this day.

Char/es Anderson and Robert Anderson: Dreadful fires often took place when fine tracts of excellent timber were destroyed.

George Brace: No.

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