The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-05-20

destructive pests. One corner of ths
orchard seemed to be their particular
abiding place, and it was almost impos-
sible to keep an apple tree a-growing on
about an acre of ground.
They sometimes destroy potatoes in
the hills, but this to no very serious ex-
tent. Again they burrow up under
shock OF wheat, oats or corn, and if it
is left standing for some time will COM
pletely ruin it. Their favorite means of
locomotion seems to be to dig their way
through the ground, which they do with
great rapidity. If they come to hard
road-bed they dig right through it, often
pilling up their heaps of dirt in the wagon
tracks. If a gopher is caught fast by
| one OF his fore feet in steel trap, and is
left to himself, he will dig hole in the
ground with the other foot and disap-
pear, trap and ALL in very few min
utes. The strength in their powerful
fore-paws, jaws and shoulders is marvel
GUS. Captured, they are always ready
for fight, and they are capable of bit
ing very savagely.
This animal is called the pouched rat,
or pocket gopher, from the fact that he
has on each side of bis face a very curious
pouch or pocket, extending backward or
downward, nearly or quite to the shout
der. In these little haversacks they
sometimes carry their food-though
many people believe they convey the
dirt in them which they remove from
their holes, On two occasions we have
found green grass in these pockets, so we
do not accept the other idea. They
doubtless go out and gather green food
in the night, though IN rare instances we
have seen one abroad in daylight, but
this is very unusual. Less is probably
known to the naturalists concerning the
life-history of the pouched gopher than
any other of our mammals-for the rea-
sons that they live so exclusively under
ground and are so difficult to capture and
keep in captivity. Few naturalists-in
fact we know of none-haye ever seen
baby gopher. Littleif anything is known
of their habits in winter. They are said
to have, down in the numerous winding
and most intricate labyrinths of their
burrows, lying-in hospitals, granaries, or
storehouses, sleeping apartments, and
water-closets. We are prepared to be-
lieve all this-for they are neat, sleek,
handsome, well-fed, sharp, alert, know
ing animals, and in building their homes
would not be apt to omit any of the
modern improvements, or forget any in
herited experiences of their ancestors
In fact, one our of near neighbors in plow-
ing through gopher mound turned up
to the light one day half bushel or
more of the tubers of the wild artichoke
and we have heard of other instances
so that the granary question may be
regarded as settled. Some day the
other matters may be successfully inves-
tigated.
The true pouched gopher (Geomys
bursartus) we would destroy outright
if possible, for no good can be credited
up to them, and they do a vast deal of
damage. We have tried shooting and
trapping them with varying success, but
some of the old chaps seem to "be too
sharp for anything" in these directions.
There is one means, however, which
seems to be perfectly sure, and that is
poison. These animals are very fond of
sweet potatoes. Our plan is to cut
sweet potato into small pieces, and into
these make small holes in which we put
Il little strychnine, By digging down
between the little heaps of dirt which
they throw up, one can readily find their
galleries and underground roads. The
poisoned roots are placed in these ways
and the holes filled up. When this is
well done you will seldom be troubled
any more by these mischievous rodents,
and a gopher town will become "silent
city."-Mr. Atdrich, IN Io1Ud Homestead.