Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-06-14
PRAIRIE DOGS.
One OF TIL Pests ~ the West.

ana one Of the rodents should be forth
with dispatched to Secretary Wilson.
he will be glad to get IT,
Or course, every one knows that the
gopher problem is a serious one in
many parts Of the West, and the rab-
bit pest has at times threatened TO
devastate Australia, and even CALI
fornia. Altogether the small animals
do a great amount OF damage, but
most people do not realize what its
aggregate really is. Yet In one cou..-
ty Of the state OF Washington last
year field mice destroyed az least
half million dollars worth Of prop
erty, while In the same time wolves
In Wyoming alone mulcted the stock
men Of $1,0O0,000 worth OF cattle.
while the damage from field mice, and
similar little ''varmints" throughout
the United States, especially In the
West and South, amounted to many
millions.
TASK OF THE SCIENTISTS.
To cope with these pests is one of
the most interesting tasks Of the
biological survey OF the Department of
Agriculture. 1t has been working in
a quiet way for several years, and has
about come to the conclusion that al
though ii Is possible to trap, poison
and otherwise reduce the pests In
many instances, the thing that is
really needed Is a conta giouS disea So
that can be bottled up in the labor
atory and distributed to do its own
work on an infinitely more effective
scale than can traps and poisons
That there Is some such disease, OF
that one can be produced, the scien.
fists OF the department do not doubt
The trouble up to date has beer
to find ii. The biological servey is
working In conjunction with IN,
bureau OF animal industry. Som,
promising leads have been struck, bu'
none of them have turned out TO b,
Just what was wanted. For instance
while they are working with one dis
ease now that is fatal to a certaiI
breed of field mice, II will not toucl
others, and the rats laugh at 1t II
conscious immunity. Also there ar
plenty OF contagious animal disease
that could be turned loose on the rats
ground squirrels, and rabbits, but a
they would kill a horse just as quick.
as they would a rat, they are no
wanted.
ERNEST THOMPSON sETONs
FIND.
Some years back the survey los
Just the chance II has been looking
for. Ernest Thompson Seton was ]
In Canada, where there was pest o
rabbits, and noticed that they wer'
rapidly dying out. Some mysterlou
disease was carrying them Off, and /
was not long before the country wa
almost cleared of them. He realized
that this disease might prove valuable
and managed to catch some sick rGb
bits which he shipped to a laborator.
I'm New York, but the problem was no
lust In the biologists line, and he die
not realize the immense Importance
of II. so the secret was not grasped
Now the biological survey Is LOOKING
out for similar occurrences, and II tn
opportunity offers, will make the mos
OF them.
There is q field mouse disease tina
Is harmless to domestic animals, ant
the survey is trying hard to make
yirulent enough to do business VIII
some of the larger pests. IL promise
well. but the scientists have had to
many disappointments TO ne DraBBin
in advance. They are. however, act
ually trying to reinforce the diseas
and make 1t worse than 1t has prove'
up to date. This Is getting pretty dee
into the network of germology an.
toxic science. 1t means really breed
Ing up disease germs on somewhat III
same plan that plants and animals ar
now bred by the department. Bu
there is a hope that they may be abb
to do something with 1t. Anyhow
they are trying.
There has been a number OF report
from abroad of the wonderful thing
foreign psychologists have succeede
In doing In the line Of contagious dis
eases for small animal pests, bu
though cultures have been Dough
abroad and tried faithfully here. n
results have ever been obtained. Som
of the germs have proved fatal to th
animals that ate them, but the sam
is true Of any sort Of poison that ca