Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1897-10-22


An English paper says: The profess
sional mole catcher was quite an In
stitution in my youth. Like rat-catch-
ing, poaching, bird-snaring and esh
netting, nighttime setting, and even
spearing OF salmon In the close sea-
son, mole catching ran in families"
and have known it to run through
several generations. These men
went on circuit" and carried their
implements OF destruction with them,
and undertook, for a stipulated price
per dozen carcases. TO clear the farm
OF moles. On large farm where was
employed, lengthy stretch OF perma-
hent grass and about thirty acres OF
arabic land, lying between a wild moor
ana large river, was Infested" with
moles, and many hard days work /
have had In leveling the hillocks and
scattering the soil over the surface OF
the land The farmer who employed
me was greatly in advance of his
Times, and his theories as to the prac-
tical usefulness Of moles weasels, and /
almost every kind OF wild bird. were
the subject OF much bucolic ridicule.
Ihat Is nearly forty years ago, and
that farmer Is dead. but not his theo-
ries. These were founded on long and
close personal observations, and their
absolute accuracy has long since been
recognized by all intelligent field nat
uralists and agriculturalsts. AS far as
moles were concerned. the land where
they most did congregate" was natur-
ally poor. but In course OF time the
moles improved II. and out OF curios-
ny visited the old stealing and land
last summer and found 1t rich, inhn-
lteiy superior in heart to that OF many
other holdings where the demon mole 1
eatchers We're still employed In the ex-
penslye and destructive work. ,
The mole, like ourselves, is not per- s
ect--it has more than one "redeeming
'ice;" but. taken as a whole, IL is a
riend Of the farmer II destroys vast S
quantity Of Injurious grubs. and In its a
earchlngs for these insects. 1t GER q
ainly does injury to the roots OF GER o
ais and other plants. more particular '
Y when the soil il light and in very dry Fl
'-tTfAHs AA' uNaAA NNNANt ANeANAtN- -
aekew Is a great source OF its subsist- Il
nee It destroys mice. and 1t even does X
God as "A kind Of subsoil drainer OF c.
he land. | may conclude with an ex- o
act from a letter addressed some Il
ears ago by a Yorkshire farmer to a W
naturalist. portion OF o.
hich appeared some years ago in n
ork dealing with ORTHODOXY ento- II
ology and mammology In relation to CO
5riculture. To kill moles Is to Leave OF
le corn and turnip crops upon Light X
nds, such as sand and deeply-soiled pa
old landD to the ravages Of the WIRE Il
orm, the grub (cockchafer) and other u
sects 1 farm, and have farmed. from CO
thousand to fifteen hundred acres in dc
nerent parishes, and have noticed u
at when you try to exterminate 81
oles. rocks. sparrows. etc. you have %
r more destruction of crops. An old ~
came to me and asked me m
neither I would have the moles killed -
my land. said. mo: IL III
had no moles | should have no DC
ops" lie said. you are the first he
an whom have heard say that. but ol
N are right" lie then proceeded to "
y: Il was employed 10y a gentleman.
no had large, sandy field. TO kill off 10
c moles. Il used to grow nice crops. Ia
ough II was SO full OF moles. killed ~
EN- all, and the field never grew any y
ing to speak OF afterwards. The O o
ub. wreworm. etc. used 20 eat the ~
OTIS Of everything that was sown, and y. ~
Q young plants died on" ~
mi
CrystalIizing Fruits. so