Weekly journal-miner., 1911-08-09


 visors, local physicians and rsnchers from all over the county, who were anxious to learn how to free their fields of the destructive rodents who are making such inroads on their crops.
 Prairie Dogs. Il Dr. Fisher remarked that since his last visit, twenty years ago the prairie dogs had increased in alarm ing numbers. The provisions of na- ture had been violated by the ac- ttivity of the white settler in killing off the coyotes. wild eats, skunks, hawks, etc, which feed on these rodents. In order to exterminate the prairie dogs the doctor suggested the following poison which has been formulated by the department and which has been found to be most successful.
 Starch -Strychnine for Coating Grain.
 Oats or barley, free from dirt or other grain-16 quarts
 Stryehnine alkaloid (powdered)- 1 ounce.
 Saeeharine-l teaspoonful. ! Gloss starch Ordinary laundry stsreh)-2 tablespoonful
 Water-1 quart.
 Dissolve the starch in a little cold water and then add one quart of boiling water making a rather thick solution; while hot stir in the strych- nine and saecharine and mix thor oughly until free from Jumps. Now pour the poisoned starch over the i grain and stir rapidly until the poison is evenly distributed, then al low the grain to dry. When dry it will keep indefinitely without deter ioration, unless exposed to dampness.
 For ordinary quantities a galvan- ized iron washtub is an excellent re- ceptaele in which to mix the grain with the poisoned starch; but when large quantities are needed. the mix ing may be done in a water trough with shovel and hoe.
 Putting Out the Grain.
 The poisoned grain should be seat tered (not placed in heaps) on clear hard ground about the hole or in the trails leading from one hole to an other Poison grain falling in the soft dust is usually wasted. The best time for poisoning prairie dogs is in the early spring from February to April when green forage is scarce.
 The poisoned oats do not in any way hurt or affect the hands. Birds.
 For some reason the average farmer has developed an antipathy to the very best friends he has, for instance, the ordinary barn owl The doctor told of sending one of his assistants to investigate an orchard in Mime sota. which had become blighted by ; plague. which the farmer could not succeed in locating. The investigator found that the young orchard was positively girdled by meadow mice.
 Returning to the barn he found a short cared owl nailed on the door. Investigation proved that the stomach of the owl contained the bodies of five adult meadow mice, and demon strated that the farmer was actually destroying his best friend.
 The doctor further explained that there are seventy-five varieties of hawks and owls in the United States and that only three of these common Iy feed on poultry and wild game. i Skunks.
 The danger from the hydrophobia skunk is greatly overestimated. A skunk in order to have rabies must be inoeulated by being bitten by some animal suffering from the dis ease. In some states in the East, skunks are protected by law. A man who would kill skunk in the hop fields would be regarded in the same light as though he had wantonly killed a neighbor's watch dog. The skunk destroys cutworms, white |. grubs, grasshoppers and young prairie dogs, and in time the rancher will realize that he is really worthy aid in the work in the fields. Counties.
 The Department of Agriculture has after years of investigation found that the bounty system is not a sue