The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-04-25
IT KILLS THE SQUIRRELS
AN EXPERIMENT OF INCUBATION
WITH DEADLY VIRUS.
Spreads Rapidly to the Pests and
They Die in "a short Time
After.

Pendleton, Or, April 21.-The subject of
determination of ground squirrels by the
incubation of virus received considerable
attention here. The squirrels have caused
immense loss to grain during several
years. Several months ago the CONNER
cial association of Pendleton took the
matter in hand At a meeting of the
board of managers DR.. c. j. Smith and
DR.. f. w. Vincent explained the plans
proposed and the main points of the ex-
termination theory The board offered
$3.50 toward fund to be used in exter-
minating squirrels in Umatilla county.
DR.. Smith took the task of making the
necessary experiments. At his home in
this city he caused to be erected four
coops or pens affording free ventilation
and sunshine, sufficiently large to give the
squirrels room to move about. Deep wide
holes were eXcavated in the ground and
boarded up to prevent the squirrels bur-
rowing out, the earth was thrown back
again and smoothed in a natural manner
DR.. Smith secured 80 well grown, healthy
squirrels, making a selection among the
largest of the number, but taking care to
keep only those in perfect health and
well developed. They were divided into
four groups, "A group being put in each
coop.
Dr. Smith had sent to eastern labora-
tories for the virus necessary to make the
test He took three squirrels and inocu-
lated them by injecting virus. Into each
of three coops he placed an inoculated
squirrel. The fourth coop distant from the
other three about six feet. In that he
placed no inoculated squirrels. Proper
onantffiac Of fnr
nished, in every manner possible guarding
the experiment, and keeping the squirrels
under natural conditions. Prior to inocu-
lation the squirrels thrived and appeared
in every way to be doing well. Almost
Immediately upon the introduction Of
virus and the bringing of the healthy
squirrels in contact with the inoculated
squirrels the disease began to show. All
the squirrels in the coops in which were
placed the inoculated ones took the dis
ease. From SO only three remained alive.
These were allowed to go free.
The experiment was pronounced q COM
plete success. Even the squirrels in the
coop six feet distant from the other three
and between which there was no com
municatlon. contracted the disease and are
dead from the artifcially arranged
scourge.
measure satisfied with the experiment.
although l do not propose to stop at this
point. AS soon as possible 1 shall proceed
to make an additional investigation so as
to bring out the new features. Doctors
say in this connection that complete ex-
termination can probably be accomplished
only at the end of a term of several years.
| They reason like this: No scourge could
carry away all the race of man, although
/ thousands have died from epidemic and
| whole districts have been almost entirely
depopulated. The epidemic OF smallpox
or Asiatc cholera will run out. The long
er such disease runs the less violent it
| becomes. II will hold good in the case OF
the squirrel. I am of the opinion that by
exercise of diligence. intelligence and
proper supervision of the field of opera
TONS the squirrels may be practically ex-
terminated from Umatilla county in three
j or four years"