The Greeley tribune., 1906-06-21

ana one OF the rodents should be forth
with dispatched to Secretary Wilson.
He will be glad to get it,
OF course. every one knows that the
gopher problem is 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 great amount of damage, but
most people do not realize what its
aggregate really is. Yet in one coun-
ty of the state of. Washington last
year field mice destroyed at least
half a million dollars worth of prop
erty, while in the same time wolves
In Wyoming alone mulcted the stock
men of $1,OOO,O00 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
Il quiet way for several years, and has
about come to the conclusion that al
though it is possible to trap, poison
and otherwise reduce the pests in
many instances, the thing that Is
really needed is a contagious disease
that can be bottled up in the labor
atory ana distributed to do its own
work on an infinitely more effective
scale than can traps and poisons.
That there is some such disease. or
that one can be produced, the scien-
lists of the department do not doubt.
The trouble up to date has been
Apd 10
working in conjunction with the
bureau of animal industry. Some
promising leads have been struck, but
none of them have turned out to be
lust what was wanted. For instance,
while they are working with one dis
ease now that is fatal to a certain
breed of field mice, it will not touch
others, and the rats laugh at 1t in
conscious immunity. Also there are
plenty of contagious animal diseases
that could be turned loose on the rats.
ground squirrels, and rabbits. but as
they would kill a horse just as quickly
as they would rat, they are not
wanted.
ERNEST THOMPSON sETON's
FIND.
Some years back the survey lost
lust the chance it has been looking
for Ernest Thompson Seton was p
in Canada, where there was pest of
rabbits, and noticed that they were
rapidly dying out Some mysterious
disease was carrying them Off. and 1t
was not long before the country was
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 laboratory
in New York, but the problem was not
just in the biologists line, and he did
not realize the immense Importance
of 1t, SO the secret was not grasped.
Now the biological survey is looking
out for similar occurrences, and if the
opportunity offers, will make the most
vf them.
There is a field mouse disease that
is harmless to domestic animals. and
the survey is trying hard to make it
yirulent enough to do business with
some of the larger pests. 1t promises
well, but the scientists have had too
many disappointments to be Dragging
In advance. They are. however, act
ually trying to reinforce the disease
and make it worse than it has proved
up to date. This is getting pretty deep
Into the network of germology and
toxic science. 1t means really breed
ing up disease germs on somewhat the
same pan tuat pl'iutS anu hhiliaiS al Z
now bred by the department. But
there is hope that they may be able
to do something with it. Anyhow
they are trying.
There has been n number of reports
from abroad of the wonderful things
foreign bacteriologists have succeeded
In doing in the line of contagious dis
eases for small animal pests. but
though cultures have been bought
abroad and tried faithfully here. no
results have ever been obtained. Some
Of the germs have proved fatal to the
animals that ate them, but the same
y Gue Of any sort Of poison that can