The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-18

A communication from the Nebraska
Experiment station treats on the ex-
termination Of prairie dogs and says:
Few persons realize the amount OF
damage done by prairie dogs. and
hence no organized force has been ex-
erted against them. The damage done
by these little pests consists in killing
out the grass. which they do very ex-
tensiYely There have been numerous
methods advocated for the extermina-
tion Of these pests. Among the gases
that seem to be very effective is car
bon bisulphide. This was tried on a
very large dog town with good results.
But one complaint against any gas,
and especially carbon bisulphide, is
that it is very expensive, and also that
its application is very laborious; and
for this reason its use is not recon-
mended
This year the state continued expert
ments begun in 1888 in the northeast
ern part of Sheridan county in what
is known as the mirage fats" There
were various experiments tried there.
some with gas Of q cheaper nature,
known as the gas drip, but It has not
proved satisfactory. Cultures have
also been tried, and these have also
not given entire satisfaction.
The treatment that has proven most
effective is the use Of strychnine and
potassium cyanide. The formula is as
follows;
Dissolve three ounces Of strychnine
and one-half pound Of potassium cyan
ide in one quart Of boiling water;
then add two quarts Of molasses and
one teaspoonful Of oil OF anise. Stir.
Then place one bushel OF wheat in a
tight receptacle $50 there viii be no
loss from leakage) and pour the fore
going solution over It. It should then
be well stirred while an assistant slow
ly sprinkles into the mixture four
pounds Of finely ground corn meal. The
molasses 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 superfuous liquid
or syrup and thus enable the grains
OF wheat to carry larger amount Of
poison.
This preparation has been distribut- |
ed in a very large town Of between FIVE
and six hundred acres. A teaspoonful /
was placed in and around every hole
The results were very gratifying, as !,
was demonstrated that fully ninety per
cent OF all the dogs were killed at the
first application. Within twenty-four
hours there were large numbers OF /
them lying dead on the ground. Some 1
were found lying at the opening OF the I
burrow, while some could be seen far
down in the hole and no doubt many /
died at the bottom Of their burrows.
The best time to commence opera
tions is during a period OF warm. clear
weather in the winter. The advantage I
Of operating during the winter Is that
the grass and roots upon which they I
feed are dead and frozen, and hunger /
c0mpels them to eat more freely OK I
the poisoned wheat The poison seems /
to do its work within forty-eight hours. /
In about a week or ten days the town /
should be gone over a second time, as 1
there Will be. Of course, some dogs left, /
Of which about fifty per cent viii /
usually be killed by the second aDpn- /
cation. During the mating season In
the spring the remaining dogs viii /
congregate. and then as soon as the /
young ones begin to appear above
ground the poison can again be dis
tributed.