Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1899-10-05
WANT PRAIRIE DOG REMEDY,
The Animals Are Rapidly Becoming
Pest to the StocI<men
of Nebraska.

The buffalo and the antelope once
found on the prairies of Nebraska dis
appeared long ago, but the prairie dog
still lives and flourishes. AS matter
of fact, he is flourishing so greatly that
appeal after appeal is coming to the
biologists of the state university for
aid in Kidding the northwestern part OF
the state of a great pest.
The prairie dog is not beautiful an
imal, but as a propagator of his spe-
cies he stands near the top of the list.
Heis exceedingly gregarious and builds
towns with a rapidity that gains the
respectful admiration of even the most
successful town boomers. So far the
ravages of the prairie dogs have been
confined to the stock-growing country,
and stockmen say that unless some
thing is done large part of the state
will be abandoned to the animal. The
damage done by them consists in the
killing of the grass wherever they are
located. Especially are they common
in Sheridan county, an almost exclu-
sively stock-growing district. Ten
years ago there were few prairie dogs
there and all in one town. AS an Illus
tration of how fast they multiply it Is
stated that three years ago there was
dog town north of Nashville, the
county seat, which covered less than
100 acres. To-day it extends over four
sections of land, or 1850 acres. Within
radius of four miles of Nashville there
are now nine towns, covering some
eight sections of land, all of which is
useless for grazing purposes.
So elusive are the little fellows that
the marksmen no longer waste their
time on them. The best hunters say
the dogs can dodge bullet between
the flash and its arrival in their neigh
borhood. No certain remedy to get rid
of the pests has yet been invented, and
the scientists at the experimental sta
ton here have taken up the subject
and as soon as they arrive at conclu-
sion will publish it for the benefit of
the sufferers.
The only practical method that has
been tried so far is the use of poisonous
gases and virus. Carbon bisulphide is
sure death to the dogs, but the price
and the labor involved in applying it
prevents its universal adoption. The
difficulty experienced in finding a vi
rus that will spread contagion and
death among the dogs is that all sug-
gested are equally fatal to domestic
animals and human beings. The willy
little fellows also decline to walk right
up and partake of the poisoned bait
as soon as it is set; they wait until
exposure in the air has weakened the
poison.
The scientists are also at loss to
tell what food to use with the assur-
ance that the dogs will eat it. The
dogs seem to be very wary of man and
keep such a close watch on him that
anything he does in their neighborhood
is looked upon with suspicion, and
conference is almost invariably called
as soon as he departs. The scientists
hope for eventual success, despite the
fact that scientific literature upon the
prairie dog and his habits is very scant
and ancient. Careful record of every
test is kept, and the labor, time and
cost are computed with the object OF
demonstrating the least expensive and
most effective method.-N. Y. Sun.
Crop FRlIure IN nusgIu-
The state department has received
report from Consul Heenan at Odessa,
Russia, stating that the failure of the
crops in many of the provinces of Eu-
ropean Russia is much more serious
affair than is generally admitted. En-
ergetic steps have just been taken to
meet the situation. The famine dis
tricts are divided up and government
aid is being given according to the ex-
tent of the failure in the several dis
tricts. Employment also is being given
to large number of peasants on spe-
cial lines of work, such as road making.
One of the most difficult questions TO
be solved Is how working stock and
othey animals are to be saved, the hay
crop being a complete failure.