Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-03-30
THE POCKET GOPHER.


by having the roots cut e., These
mounds also prevent close moving, &c
that much of the hay crop is lost,
while the pebbles they contain often
break or injure farm machinery. The
loss due to gopher mounds in the clover
and alfalfa fields in some OF the West
trn states has been conservatively est1-
mated at one-tenth Of the entire crop.
in many of the fertile valleys where
t;ophers abound they are by far the
most formidable of the farmers amin
Il enemies.
Pocket gophers may be destroyed by
poison, by traps, and by the use OF car
bon bisulphid
Poisoning Pocket Cophers.
Poisoning with strychnine is the
host effective means known for killing
these little animals, and, as 1t involves
The least expenditure of money and
labor, the Biological Survey recon-
hends 1t for general use. AS rodent
poison to be used by farmers, strych-
hine has several advantages Its act
known to most persons, and its bitter
taste is an additional safeguard against
histaking it for a harmless drug.
Strychnia sulphate is the most conven-
lent form Of the poison, since 1t is
freely soluble In hot water and In the
natural juice of vegetables used as bait.
70 disguise its bitterness so that ro-
dents may not be deferred from eating
the bats, sugar is often employed, or
the strychnine may be mixed with its
own bulk of commercial saccharine.
A sugar syrup poisoned with strych-
hine may be used with excellent re-
sults. 1t Is prepared as follows:
Dissolve an ounce of strychnia sui
plate in a pint of boiling water. Add
q pint of thick sugar syrup, and stir
thoroughly. The syrup is usually
Sec lted by adding few drops OF oil
Of anise, but this is not essential. 1t
preserved in a closed vessel, the syrup
will keep Indefinitely.
The above quantity is sufficient to
poison q half bushel of shelled corn or
other grain (corn recommended), the
cereal being stepped in hot water and
allowed to soak over night 1t Is then
drained and soaked for several hours
In the poisoned syrup. Before using
corn meal may be added to take up the
excess of moisture.
Dry crystals of strychnine also may
be used. They are introduced by
means of knife, into small pieces OF
potato, carrot, or sweet potato. or into
entire raisins or dried prunes. A sin
gle large crystal (or several small
ones) Is enough for each bait. Raisins
are especially recommended because
they are easily handled and contain
enough sugar to disguise the bitter
ness of the poison.
I. The prepared bats are placed In thu
underground runways Of the gopher
and are conveniently handled with
\ spoon. A stout dibble is used to max
holes into the runways. Having lc
Gated the runways by use of the dibble
It is moved from side to side to max
the soil firm about the hole, and thel
withdrawn. A piece Of the poisone,
potato or raisin or a teaspoonful o
the poisoned corn is dropped into tn
hole which is left open. Some farmer
prefer to cover the holes, but the expel
ience of the Agriculture Department
Is against such practice.
BY this method little labor is neces
sary, and the operator soon acquire
skill In finding the runways. The bal
should be placed In the main runway
and not in the short laterals near tn
mounds. If placed in the laterals, tn
animals are likely to cover 1t wit
soil or throw 1t out without fndin
It. A skillful operator can go over 2
to 40 acres of badly infested land l
a day. and, II the work is carefull
done at a time when thepocket gopher