Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-25
POISON PROOF.
Fralr1e Dogs Invulnerable Until a New
Killer Was Invented.

From the Saturday Evening Post
Inc use of a new and sineuIar1v non,or-
1ul poison is redeeming millions of va1ua
Die western acres. In Kansas alone. where
the mixture has been thoroughly tested
lts emcacy In exterminating destructive
rooents, which until now have been poison-
PROOF, Will save over half a million dollars
worth or forage crops annually. Besides
mat, 1t assures the safeguarding of the
horticultural interests of the state. which
nave been seriously menaced
Hitherto prairie dogs (Cynomys ludoyi-
clanus) and pocket gophers (Geomys bur-
sarlus) have wreaked widespread havoc in
Kansas, all efforts to stay their ravages
having proved inadequate. Arsenic cor
roslve subl1mate, barium carbonate potas-
SUM cyanide and Strychnine have been
perslstent1y administered but the hardy
ana predatory rodents have survived this
chemical diet. Efforts have been made to
SURROGATE the pests by forcing sulphur
FUMES into the burrows, and to do it on
a large scale machines were specially de-
signed. 1t was also hoped to decimate the
pra1rle-dog villages and gopher colonies
by introducing contagious diseases Not
Wlthstanding all attempts, it was found
mat they were on the increase, the prairie
oog rlVaIlng the grasShopper as disturber
OF the western farmers peace of mind
Until few months ago prairie dogs held
dominion IN Slxty-eight counties in Kansas
their depredations covering an area of
100000 acres. Even on pasture land.
whose native grass meadows offer more re-
s1stance than cultivated crops the dam
age done yprairie dogs has been 50 per
cent Wheat and alfalfa fields have
been frequently totally devoured by these
pests, which figure in Cooper's novels some
what more romantically as prairie mar
mots'' and "wishton-wish' The total
NV hn ;rfo J.
Kansas has been not less than $50 600
Pocket gophers have been a still greater
scourge. In some years they have Destroy
ed one-telth of the entire alfalfa crop of
that state representing a loss of over
S5oO,OOO. In addition, they have menaced
the existence of orchards and nurseries,
destroying thousands of trees by girdling
them.
Finally, after years of fruitless efforts of
determination, secret poison has been
concocted which gives promise of Kidding
Kansas entirely of the animals. Quantities
OF the poison are sent, upon application, to
farmers throughout the state, but the for
mula is withheld from the public. The
operation of mixing the poison is exceed
ingly dangerous and is conducted under the
personal supervision of state chemists
Thus far the subtle and powerful COM
pound has absolutely exterminated prairie
dogs on more than 25OoOO acres, and the
demand for the poison is taxing the states
facilities for its manufacture. So potent
Is the mixture that a half-gallon can of
it has destroyed the inha bitants of 1900
burrows, which comprised a prairie dog
village covering 100 acres State officials
conducted the initial experiments. Within
twenty-four hours from the beginning OF
operations every prairie dog on an eighty
acre tract had been killed by the poison.
Now the slaughter is growing into a gen.
eral crusade, the officials and farmers
working in jealous cooperation to rid Kan
sas entirely of these active enemies Of
husbandry.