Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-12-27
SQUIRRELS OR TREES?
SERIOUS PROBLEM CONFRONTS
EXPERTS IN FORESTRY.
Little Animals Cause Serious Trouble
Wherever Forest Service Has
Tried to Reforest Cut-over
or Burned Areas.

Whether we have squirrels or for
ests in the United States is question
that is now presenting itself urgently
to the department of agriculture. DR..
II. H. HenshaW, chief of the biological
survey, has just returned to Washing
ton after tour of the west, where
the forest service is worried over this
problem.
The squirrels that are forcing
themselves into the balance against
the trees are the gray squirrels Of the
west and the Pacific coast. There
has been an immense amount of
trouble wherever the forest service
has tried to reforest either cut-over or
burned areas from the small rodents
that ate the seeds before they sprout-
ed. The gophers, field mice and
ground squirrels have been the worst
offenders, and it has been found nee
essary to eXterminate these little pests
over large areas before reforesting
was at all successful.
This has been done in some cases
with the aid of the biological survey,
and in cases where from rs to 80 per
cent. of the seed were formerly eaten
within So hours after planting, it has
been found possible to kill off the
small ground animals and get a good
stand of new timber. In fact, in the
Cochapaw forest of Colorado it is
probable that the stand of young trees
will have to be thinned out to give
room the trees ought to have.
But now comes the gray squirrel
and presents new problem to the for
ester. In most of the reforesting areas
the seed Of the yellow pine is the most
desirable seed to be planted. The gray
squirrels, it is found, not only eat the
seed that are planted, but if the seed
crop is at all light they eat the seed
before the foresters can collect them
for planting. The rangers have tried
the experiment of watching the squir-
rels and find they frequently can To-
cate the boards of the little red squir-
rel, getting as much as a bushel of
seed sometimes from a single gran
airy. But the gray squirrel does not
hoard the seed. He either eats as he
goes or else buries scattered seed SO
it is useless to look for them.
The biological survey does not want
to exterminate the squirrels, and does
not intend to poison them, at first at
any rate, but will send out hunters
to kill them off by shooting in the
worst infested regions to see whether
they can be held in check till the new
trees get a start.
Doctor Henshaw said he made Wis
it to the national bison range, where
10000 acres have been fenced on the
Flathead Indian reservation, and found
the herd Of bison installed there doing
well and taking kindly to their new
surroundings. The Flathead Indians
have several thousand acres of land
they want to irrigate, and they cannot
readily get water to do it without run
ming an irrigation ditch across the
bison park. They are willing to do
the work of ditch digging themselves
or pay the department of agriculture
for having it done, but the department
does not want to risk this invasion of
the bison territory, and the method by
which the question shall be settled
has not yet been worked out.