Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1893-03-23
Texas Letter.
CUsHMAS. TEXAS,

March 10, 1893.
Ell. EAGLE-In my former let
ter | promised to speak of the
prairie dog, jack RABBIT and coy
OF; their depreciation to crops,
hea roosts, etc. ; aud CT the
style of house ths farmer as a
rule, bald for themselves and
family.
The prairie dog Is not an ugly
title animal by any means. He
s round, chuffy, brown color,
anger than the largest size rat,
resembling the fox suirrel ex-
:ept his tail which Is rather
hort. He is most always sit
ing besides his door blinking
MS eyes, with a continuous
queak called barking, hence
Is name. If You approach he
disappears into his barrow with
Z tiInt of his heels and tail, to
ocn reaPpear TO see what you
ave concluded to do. His diet
! principally mesquite grass
which he selects with care aud
its upon his "hrakers" to eat
(, using his paws like hands
sith great nimbleness. When
,e has eaten all the grass in his
pounds, be then finishes the
cots He has made up his mind
o stay civiliz ,tion not with
standing 10 the contrary. Many
ire the efforts that have been
made to "oust' him, but his
thief diet being that of grass,
ne is not easily poisoned. and
Toa need not waste powder on
lim for his retreat is ever at
1and. He is Of "A very prolific
family, and the damage done to
he growing crops by him is i'm
nenss. as he will not allow any
Kind of vegetation to grow up
about his surroundings, that
will pr vent him from seeing in
sruders: The pl0w is about tie
inly effrctual means of getting
rid Of him and this Will take se,-
e-sl years of constant cu.'iya
ion. Much more could be said
Of him, but I see | must desiSt
The jack rabbit il Il gray ami
nal about as large as the cons
aoD hare. with very long ears
renee his name 'jack'' rabbi
lie Is act "a destructive to the
'cOps as the prairie dog, thong
ne lays waste To Il good deal aud
has his paths crossing the fields
# grain ia every direction. and
A. for this country Kidding itself
of him, | am al a loss To
| now come to the cOyot, a
species of The dog. and resem
btes the common dog very much
and is generally brown in color
ie lives in the breaks and rocky
c IDS, and is vcrr shy. III ut
the depredations to his credit
the farmer il the hen roosr.
aad this hs manages with a
good deal of skill. Il the roost
too high for him, or the psul-
try housed he secre:es himself
hard by and awaits the dawn ny
OF day, and as the poultry H.
from their perch, then i. Is that
he gets "a tide hen or turkey for
his breakfast and is off ere the
farmer has a word with him. nor
IL the iagpFits yard dog or shep
herd fond of of 'ta.klins" him.
His hide commands u good price
owing to the quality OF fur be
sides our county at one time
paid so for his scalp. HONEY.
er, this was done to encourage
the citizens to rid the county of
his troublesome animal.
Now come to the lsst, ba' in
no wise the least important
The farmers abode as a rule. is
IT the eheaTes aa.l simplest.
his though in a great measure
- owing to the high price of
)dildIIg material, aud re other
net, they don't dote on fae
houses, aud be>iies, the winters
re MT so very cold, nor the
summers SO very hot. hence a
two rOem house likIt With the
evarrealy dugout hard by com.
pose thu majority Of the turner's
"~shahty."
A good rain a few days ago.
Wheat and uafs af this 49,. 4
very promising. aud If no disas.
ter befalls them in the future
the yield this year will be one
that will gladden. the hears of
many souls Our mississippi
ans are all smiles on account of
COOL health ami fiae prospects
! of m nhnnf..s E