Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1901-11-21

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tributed in a very large town of
between five and six hundred
acres. A teasroolful was placed
in and around every hole. The
results were very gratifying, as
it was demonstrated that fully
ninety per cent of all the dogs
we're killed at the first applica-
ton. Within twenty-four hours
there we're large numbers of
them lying dead on the ground.
Some were found lying at the
opening of the burrow, while
some could be seen far down in
the hole, and no doubt many died
at the bottom of their burrows.
The results obtained from the
above experimentleaveli little room
for doubt that the prairie dog
can be exterminated in a short
time if the work is done in thor
ough manner. In doing this
work the following instructions
should be rigidly adhered to:
First, in preparing the poison
great care should be taken that
the exact proportions are used
that the cyanide of potassium and
strychnine are completely dis
solved; that no more water and
syrup are used than the recipe
calls for, as one bushe1 of wheat
will not take up and carry more
than this amount of liquid. After
the liquid has been poured into
the wheat the whole should be
we'll stirred until all of the VIII al
has come in contact with the
syrup and the poison is equally
distributed through the whole
mass. 1t should be used the
same day that it is prepared, in
order to ATTAIN the best results
The way to apply this is to take
some of the poisoned wheat in a
tin pail and sprinkle about table
spoonful of it in and around each
hole. Do not leave it in Jumps OIL
punches, as cattle or other stock
might possibly eat it, although
our experience showed that the
danger from this is not great, as
cattle were allowed to range over
the towns that were being thus
treated, and none were injured
It is best to take strip abou'
two rods wide, set stakes at con
yenient intervals to avoid going
over the same ground twice ant
also avoid missing any of the
holes. Where there IS more thar
one person operating the stakes
may be set to indicate the grount
that is being gone over, the op
orators keeping about two rod.
apart and changing the stake.
over to the outside as the person
next to the poisoned grount
comes to them. The best TIM
to commence operations is dur
ing period of warm weather il
the winter. The advantage o
operating during the winter i.
that the grass and roots upor
which they feed are dead anc
frozen, and hunger compels then
to eat more freely the poisone,
wheat. The poison seems to d.
its work within forty-eight hours
In about a week or ten days tn,
town should be gone over a sec
ond time. as there will be, o
course some dogs left, of which
about so per cent will usually b.
killed by the second application
During the mating season in thu
spring the remaining dogs will
congregate, and then as soon a:
the young ones begin to appear
above ground the poison Cal
again be distributed.
An important matter in the ex
termination of prairie dogs is t.
organize ageneral CRUSADER gdins
them, as they will migrate from
nearby towns as soon as the
grass becomes abundant on lane
where they haye been extermi
mated. In order, therefore, t.
make the destruction complete
war should be made on them ovel
a large range of territory. The
amount of the mixture required
is about one buShel to one hun
dred and sixty acres in the case
of an average town. The mum
Der of holes to the acre range
from go to $50. Four men will
easily cover 100 acres in a day.