The Breckenridge news., 1906-06-13

and 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 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 Il great amount Of damage, but
most people do not realize what its
aggregate really is. Yet i'm one couA-
tv 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 mulctcd the stock
men of S1.OOO.OOO 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
n 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 and 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
To find il. The biological servey Is
working i'm conjunction with the
bureau of animal industry. Some
promising leads have been struck, but
none of them have turned out to he
inst what was wanted. For Instance,
while they are working with one dis
ease now that is fatal to 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 a rat, they are not
wanted.
ERNEST THOMPSON SETON'S
FIND.
Some years back the survey lost
inst the chance il has been looking
!. for Ernest Thompson Seton was p
in Canada. where there was a pest OF
rabbits, and noticed that they were
4 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 rCD-
bits which he shipped to a laboratory
in New York but the problem was not
Just In the biologists line, and he dld
not realize the immense Importance
of IL, so the secret was not grasped.
Now the biological survey is looking
ont for similar occurrences, ana II the
lportunity offers, will make the most
If them.
There is a field mouse disease that
is harmless to domestic animals and
the survey is trying hard to make II
yirulent enough to do business VIII
some of the larger pests. 1t promises
well, but the scientists nave hau to'
many disappointments to be Dragging
In advance. They are. however, act
ualIv irving to reinforce the disease
nm To date. This is getting pretty deeI
into the network of germology ane
toxic science 1t means really breed
ing ND disease germs on somewhat th'
same plan that plants and animals arr ar
now bred by the department. Bu
there is a hope that they may be abl
to do something with 1t. Anyhow
they are trying.
There has been a number OF report
from abroad of the wonderful thing
foreign bacteriologists have succeeds
In doing in the line or c0ntag @ glous I,s 1,s
eases for small animal pests, on
though cultures have been bough
abroad and tried faithfully here, n'
results have ever been obtained. Som
Of the germs have proved fatal to tn
animals that ate them, but the sam'
r true Of any sort Of poison that cal
...-'-.vx x..-.>,,, ,,,a,,f instances o1 s.seas.