The San Francisco call., 1896-06-16
Colonizing Cats Proves a Perfect
Remedy Against Great
Evils.
NOT a PEST IN SIX YEARS,
Experience That Will Prove of Great
Benefit TO Farmers and
RancherS.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL, !
90S Broadway Jnne IL (

9OS Broadway, June 15
A new system of protecting potato
ranches and orchards from the ravages of
squirrels and gophers has been tried in
the Liyermore Valley and has proved a
great success.
The secret of the success is very simple
and consists solely of putting to prac-
tical use the common domestic cat.
Although many of the larger class of
farmers have resorted to poison, few know
or realize the value of few good cats.
Arthur Small, well-known farmer in
the eastern part of the county, has expert
mented for six years and is a great ad-
mlrer OF the common cat, and for good
cause.
Much of the hard-earned profits of the
farm go year after year in the expenditure
for poison, in order to keep squirrels. and
gophers from destroying growing crops.
Not only in the grainields is the work of
these depredators to be found, but also in
the garden, the potato patch and the
orchard. In some districts the rancher is
quite unequal to their onslaught, this
species of rodent being so numerically
strong and destructive that the farmer is
deferred from letting his crops ripen into
maj ACLdDlS grain, anu Is QIlNeu 10 Tue
necessity of cutting it all for hay in order
to save it.
81 will briefly relate my experience with
cats as an aid in place of poison. Several
years ago. when first began farming in
my present location, after putting in a
small crop for hay, planted half-acre or
so in potatoes, and also garden. When
the potatoes began to blossom and the
garden was in a nice condition the gophers
and squirrels went to work and cleaned
up everything in the garden-patch and
about half the crop of hay also. The fol-
lowing year l planted the same patch in
potatoes and other vegetables, determined
TO devise some way to save it from the
squirrels.
Again the garden and crop grew lux
uriantly, and while L was contemplating
the putting out of poison my observation
became centered on the prompt and effect
i've work of a large cat had on the ranch.
She had a couple of active kittens in the
barn, and whenever was around l saw
her engaged in catching gophers and
squirrels for the family. AS many as ten
squirrels were caught daily. Along with
the feeding of her kittens she was fire.
quently waylaid by the dogs, and the
squirrel would be taken from her. But
she was not discouraged and at once re-
turned and got fresh carcass, until both
the dogs and kittens thrived on her in
dustry.
Il did all I could to encourage the cat,
and soon put more to work, and for long
time they have protected me entirely from
gophers and squirrels. Although there is
unoccupied land around my place, l have
never used an ounce of poison in ali ex-
perience of over six years, and believe l
can show more land cleared up of squirrels
than my neighbors, who have poisoned
for years. l have no trouble with the cats
and no particular system, merely keeping
box to answer for home for the kittens
keeping them out of the house and only
feeding them in winter. With systematic
management. the despised house cat can
be made of iDestimable value to farmers
troubled with these pests"