The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1905-07-28
PRAIRIE DOGS.
Have Besome Such a Pest In Texas
That They Are Becoming
EXterminated.

~. y. Curtis Ia % Texas Letter Ia chicago Re
,nrd-lIerald.l
The Legislature of Texas has pass
ed law requiring farmers to enter
inmate the prairie dogs upon their
lands, because those amusing little
animals have become such terrible
pest. They did comparatively little
harm when the State was given over
to cattle ranges and land was selling
for 80 cents an acre, but now that
the ranches are being broken up into
farms and are being sold for So, s.
and SO an acre the prairie dog be
comes an important factor in political
economy, and the grass and other
vegetation he consumes and the
damage he does by burrowing under
and eating the roots of the plants Is
estimated at several millions Of dol
lars year. You would not think 1t,
but il you will examine any field in
Texas where the prairie dogs live or
has lived you will Immediately see
that it is so. Experts calculate that
il requires from one-eighth to one
fourth of an acre of land to support
"A single family Of prairie dogs. and
if you multiply this by the millions
upon millions of these little animals
that pop out of their holes in such a
cunning way you will realize that
there is another side to the story
Professional dog killers are going
about the State poisoning the animals
with mixture of meal, wheat, and
strychnine. They charge 10 cents
an acre for clearing farm. In one
country in the central part of the
State more than $1,000 was paid last
year to exterminate the little pests.
When a prairie dog eats poisoned
meal he crawls into his hole and per-
ishes. Hence his home becomes his
grave. He does not pollute the at
mosphere or compel the farmers to
take away his carcass.
Il has long been a mystesy where
prairie dogs get water. They are
usually found in villages in the dry
est places. They are seldom found
near streams or pools. and | never
heard any one tell of seeing a
prairie dog drink There is theory
that they do not need to drink, but
that is improbable. There is another
theory that all of the individual
holes of a village lead to central
chamber, where there is water, far
underground, and when the animals
get thirsty all they have to do is go
downstairs.
1t is a popular fallacy that rattle
snakes, owls and prairie dogs live in
friendly relations in the same holes,
but naturalists say this is not true.
They declare that the snake is the
worst enemy of the prairie dog, and
goes into the hole only for the pur-
pose of eating his little ones. When
a snake goes into hole the dog
clears out and usually abandons it..
have heard people relate how they
have watched the dogs trying to
catch snakes that have invaded their
homes. They root up the dirt all
around the hole in which the snake
has entered and gradually close it so
that the invader cannot get out.
This story however, seems TO con-
tradict the theory that all holes lead
to the central chamber.
Owls frequently lives with prairie
dogs and often occupy abandoned
holes because they cannot dig for
themselves.
The act of the Texas Legislature
requiring the determination of
prairie dogs goes into effect on Jan
uary next. After that date all
farmers are liable to fine of 81 an
acre for every year that they premit
the little pests TO survive.