The San Francisco call., 1910-01-07
GROUND SQUIRRELS
TOBFEXTfRMINATED
Government Expert Making In
vestigatiOn of Rodent Pest
in StanisIaus County
Enormous Damage TO Crops in
This State Done by Worth
less Little Animals
LSeeeiaL Dispatch 70 The CoIIl

lSpeoiaL Dispatch 10 The Call
MODESTO, Jan. 6.-S. E. Piper Of
the biological survey of the United
states department of agriculture is in
Stanislaus county for the purpose OF
making an exhaustive study of the
sround squirrel problem. While Piper
is incidentally examining the squirrels
for evidence of bubonic plague his
main object is to ascertain the most
effective means OF exterminating the
rodents, which annually destroy prod
uets TO the value of many thousands of
dollars.
Piper has been carrying on his work
ln Stanisiaus for some months and has
made a thorough study OF the squir-
rcls, their habits, their food and the
effect Of various poisons. These in
Nestlgations follow different lines ac-
cording to the soil. location, conditions
or weather etc. Nothing is overlooked
in Uncle Sans search for means TO
wipe out effectively this great pest
EFFECTIVE POISON FORMULA
In seeking a remedy the department
wishes something that viii be most ef-
fcctiNe and at the same time economi-
cal and the least dangerous to the life
of humans. stock and bird and game
ffe- IN carrying on the experiments
Piper uses a poison made up as fol-
lows:
Take % pounds Of good. clean. whole bar
ieg. one ounce Of strychnia SUI, hate small
teaspoouful Of saccharine and pint of
dium thick starch solution made by boiling
quarter Of cup of gloss starch IN pint
II water MIX the strychnla suphaIe ana
lhc sacchaTine in the hot starch and beat
until thoroughly mixed. Then add slowly 10
the barley, mixing thoroughly, 50 mat each
kernel becomes thoroughly coated Dis
tribute about tablespoonful near each
llrrcW scatter siiSntlN, 50 as 20 ANod
danger 10 stock and game. Put on good,
hard. clean soil rather than on dusty mounds.
4 little poison scattered along the trails
leading 10 the squirrel holes Is very elective.
Piper is now working in the eastern
part of this county and the full result
of his work viii be published in pam
phlet form by the department Of agri-
culture The work is under the direc-
tiOu OF DR.. A. X Fisher, in charge OF
this work in the biological survey.
Piper sends specimens OF the sguir-
reIs killed by him 10 the marine hospi-
tai officials ia San Francisco. Thus
far he has not found a squirrel in this
section OF Stanislaus with plague
HAWKS, OWLS AND SNAKES
Another feature Of his work is the
study Of beneficial birds. He says that
hawks owls and gopher snakes Kill
many young squirrels and gophers and
should be protected instead of killed
as at present lie points out that the
feW chickens they may steal are small
pay FOR the great aid they render the
farmer
Ia the irrigated sections the squirrels
do much damage 10 the banks of irri-
cation canals by burrowing through
and causing costly breaks and they
destroy much grain in the cereal belt.
In carrying on the work of eXtermina-
tion the greatest difficulty encountered
IS ina getting the farmers TO work to-
cether in killing the squirrels, but ii is
hoped that the result Of these expert
meuts. when published, will arouse the
land owners to concerted action in de-
stroying the squirrels as they have the
Jack rabbits which once travelled in
rroveS over this section of the state,
but which are now almost extinct.