Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-15
PLAGUE OF PRAIRIE DOGS.

PLAGUE OF PRAIRIE DOGS.
Nebraska's Crops Being Devastated by
These Curious Little Animals.
From the New York Sun.
1t is rare year that the Nebraska farm
er is not obliged to fight for the preserva-
ton of his crops If they are not threat
ened by one thing they are by another. One
year there is a plague of grasshoppers that
sweep over the grass lands like Bosom.
Another year the skies rainless and
the grass and grain are shriveied by a
burning And then there comes year
when hail and cyclones beat down and cut
to pieces thousands and thousands of acres
of grain twist the farmers barns into kim
ding wood and take the heart out OF the
man himself.
For three years the Nebraska farmer has
enjoyed something like immunity from
grasshoppers. drouths, hail and cyclones.
and he was beginning to think that after
all his lot was not the hardest one under
the sun, when new pest appeared to vex
him in the form of the prairie dog. This
little animal has burrowed In the prairies
of Nebraska ever since their cultivation be-
gan and probably long before but in the
past two years it has increased In numbers
with such rapidity that it threatens to de-
stroy every foot of grass land in the state.
Dog towns have become SO numerous and
populous that the agricultural experiment
station. conducted In connection with the
State University al Lincoln, has undertaken
to devise a way Of discriminating the pest.
The prairie dog, barking squirrel and
wishtonwfsh Of the Indians is known to
biologists as cynomis ludovicianus. 1t is
less formidable in appearance than it's
scientific name. 1t is about thirteen inches
long. with short tail, which it shakes de-
hantly at the enemy in full retreat. It's
eyes are large and have wondering look.
Its feet are large and it's ears short. It's
coat is reddish brown and when 1t runs
1t has an ungainly, waddling motion which
gives 1t the appearance of tumbling over
the ground In series of Somersaults.
The animal doesn't appear to be covering
ground very rapidly, but 1t requires a swift
footed hunter to keep within shooting dis
tance of it.
ly ventures far from it's burrow in the day
time. At sight or sound of danger it makes
for Its hole at top speed and drops into 1t
with the suddenness of a flash of lightning.
The feeding time Of the prairie dog is after
Clark, when there is the least chance of
discovery. 1t feeds on the grass and it's
sharp teeth nip it off as smoothly as If 1t
had been shorn by a lawn mower. The
prairie dogs dwell In towns. some of which
cover an area of five or six hundred acres
The burrows are but few feet apart and
the number ranges from ninety to one
hundred and fifty to the acre. Villages
containing 25,0OO dogs are frequently found
and the ravages of the inhabitants of
village of that size extend over many
hundred acres.
At the mouth of each burrow is a mound
of earth about eighteen inches high that,
when the dog ventures out in the daytime.
furnishes it with an elevation from the
top of which 1T surveys the level stretch
of prairie with its high in air. 1t
continually turns its head this way and
that. shifting the wind for scent of danger.
While taking observation the prairie dog in
variably sits on its launches. On a bright
day thousands of these little animals are
to be seen sitting at the entrance to their
burrows looking for trouble.
Al the sound of revolver shot or the
crack Of a rifle the dogs drop out of sight
as suddenly as If they had been whisked
off the face of the earth by the wind and
the man who pulled the trigger may watch
the village with the eye of a lynx without
catching sight Of a dog again that day, for
while he watches he is under the fire of
hundreds of eyes peering over the edge of
the burrows The color of the dogs hair
Is SO like that of the soil of which the
mounds are built that it is a hard matter
to detect him unless his entire body is ex-
posed.
After dark the dogs come out of their
burrows and sweep across the prairies eat
Ing as they go. They move forward in well
regulated ranks, led by one wise old head.
who keeps the drove in line by frequently
barking. The bark of the prairie dog is the
'yip! yip!' of the young puppy. Its pecu-
liar sound gave them the name of barking
squirrels. The prairie dog has strange bed
fellows. His burrow is the home of the
rowing owl of the prairie. and the three
live together on terms of peace. The owl
accompanies the dogs on their ravaging
sorties and blends it's peevish whine with
their staccato yelps.
The ingenuity of the farmer has been put
to severe test In his endeavor to discover
some way of exterminating the prairie dog.
Good results We're attained by the of
carbon bisulphide gas which was blown
into the burrows The dogs were suffo-
Gated but the gas was expensive and the
labor required to put it into each hole was
more than the farmer could afford. The
most effective method of destruction yet
employed Is poisoning with strychnine and
potassium cyanide. mixture is made of
which the ingredients are three ounces of
strychnine, half pound of potassium sya-
hide, quart of boiling water to two
quarts of molasses and teaspoonful of oil
Of anise. This connection is poured over a
bushel of wheat into which 1t Is carefully
stirred while four pounds of finely ground
corn meal are poured over 1t. The mo-
lasses renders the liquid adhesive SO that
1t will cling to the grains of wheat The
object of using the corn meal is to absorb
the superfluous liquid or sirup and thus
enable the grains of wheat to carry a
larger amount Of poison.
In using this exterminator the farmers
go about the work methodically. The poi
soned wheat is taken to the dog town
in tin pals and teaspoonful OF 1t is
sprnkled in and around each hole. The
oil of anise attracts the dogs and the poi
son usually takes effect in about forty
eight hours. 1t is said that in this way,
90 per cent of the population Of a dog town
has been destroyed by single treatment.
Attempts have frequently been made to
domesticate the prairie dog. 1t is easily
tanned, but doesn't long survive isolation
and confinement. 1t Is of rowing dispOs
ton and languishes under restraint. Mi
grations from one section Of the coun-
try to another are often made by prairie
dog colonies. When they find a spot that
suits them they set about digging their
burrows. The formation of their feet en-
ables them to dig rapidly and 1t takes only
few hours for the colony to house it
self in new territory. When a town is
located at distance from river the dogs
Immediately set about digging well, and
when the well Is begun the work OF dig
cling is not abandoned until water is
reached
Young Wife (at ball)-''You are improv-
ing wonderfully as dancer. Don't you
remember how you used to tear my dress