The Portland daily press., 1900-02-03
PRAIRIE DOGS A PEST.
Texas Farmers suffer Great Losses BE-
Icause ofThese Little Auimais.
(Brom the Chicago Reoord.)

(Brom the Chicago Reeord.)
Austin, Tex, Jan. 16.-Thsre has been
such ian increase In the numbsr Of
prairie dogs In the Panhandle section Of
Texas, during the past few years that
many farms will have to be abandoned
unless some method OF sxterminating ths
pest 10 adopted soon. These little animals
have multiplied many fold since the
country has become settled up with stock
men and farmers. The other wild ami
mails, such ~ coyotes and wolves. have
been driven out, and the prairie DOGS now
have undisputsd sway. In some parts OF
ths Panhandle there are colonies Of
prairie dogs which literally ovsrrun the
country. There are ofsen as many as
5000 Of them found occupy ing a few acres
Of ground. The cultivation of wheat
around Abilene and other localities of the
Panhandle 10 seriously impsded by the
destr uotion wrought by the little anil
msls- 1t frequently happens that colo
niles of prairie dogs are established right
In the centre of . large wheat field. and
the animals forage on the growing grain,
destroying the crop.
Many farmers and stock men have under
taken the task of sxterAainating the
prairie dogs ON their own land. Among
those who have made . war against the
pest Is Frank Sterrett, . prominent stock
man Of Abilen.
Last year be expended 81, 500 In sxtermi.
mating prairie dogs on his ranch. All OF
the dogs on about sixty sections Of land
were killed. This year he reports that
the dogs have invaded the land from the
ad joining territory on all. sides, and he
win have to do some more slaughtsrins
of the animals around the outer edges.
He claims that the money expended in
killing the animals Ii Q good invest
ment, az the increase In the yield of
grass compensates for the outlay. The
favorite method of killing the dogs on
farms where live stock 10 not running at
large 10 by poison. A stockman living Mt
Swsetwater invented a trap for catching
the animals several months ago, and 1t Is
rapidly coming into general use. This
trap Is placed over the holes made by the
animals and captures them whsn they
come to the surface. Thousands of live
dogs have been captured in this manner,
and In some places they are Skim cd and
their skius marketed In So. Louis and
Chicago for good prices. ,
1he fact that thousands OF aorss o.
grass and growing farm products are an
nually destroyed by the pests caused a
strong effort to be made at the last
session of the state legislature to provide
for the determination of the animals in
the state. This bill made 1t the duty OF
the owners OF land to kill all the dogs on
their property and when they failed to
do so the work was to be done under the
direction of the Board of County Com
missio ners and the cost Of same charged
as q tax against the owner of the proper
ty. The west and southwest Texas
mem bers of the Legislature favored tn .
passage OF the bill but 1t wAs opposed by
the east Texas members There were no
prairie dogs In east Texas. and the rep
ressntativss In the Legislature from that
part of the state were unable to take the
bill eeriously. The determination meas
urs will come up again for considers ton
at the NEXT eaular session Of the LeRis-
lAturs, aud Sc IL believed that 1t will be
passed. 1t 10 oonservatively estimated
that in some sections of the Panhandle
country fully 80 per cent of the grass and
agricultural crops are destroyed each year
by the animals.
The prairie dog IL q remarkable animal
in many respects. IL Is Of very domss-
tic nature They live in colonies Of from
800 to 5000 Inhabitants. They live in