Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-06-02

United States Government Tells
2 How, to Rid Farms of the. :
Pest. 1872

figure given by the United States
department of agriculture as the
damage done by the pocket GO
pliers. -.
GOpherS are troublesome in a
number of ways. In alfalfa fields
the mounds interfere with now
ing. The cycle has to be, raised
continually to prevent injury to
the teeth, and a portion of the
cutting is lost. The roots, which
furnish succulent and agreeable
food, are cut off and eaten. The
plants so attacked are injured or
killed. GOpherS do not appear to
show much preference in the
choice of their food, which 81
chiefly roots and underground
tubers and bulbs. In the field
they steal potatoes from the hill
and eat off the carrots, parsnipS
and sugar beets. The most costly
depredatiOnS of these pests are
In orchards and nurseries. They
follow the roots of the trees to
the crowns, cutting the roots in
TO pieces. which are either eaten
or stored. Often great damage
Is done during the dormant sea-
son, because the work is not dis
covered until the trees grow
again.
GOphers are not prolific Sreed-
ers. There appears to be but one
litter Of young, containing from
two to six, which is brought forth
| In the spring of each year. These
are nearly grown in the fall and
leave the parent home at that
time to construct winter quar-
tiers for themselves. The mos
active periods of work are in the
spring and fall, and these are thu
best times to apply remedial mea
SureS.
III Poisoning is the best methO(
to use against these pests whel
they are encountered in larg
: numbers. The following fOrmulj
: has been tried with success an,
Is recommended by the Unite
2 States department of agriculture
Four ounces powdered strych
MIA Sulfate. '
Four ounces green coffee.
Six ounces alcohol.
-Four eggs whites only
One-half gallon thick suga
syrup.
Mix the coffee and whites o
eggs and let the mixture stant
over night. Add a quart of COLI
water to the cOffee-egg mixtur
and stir thoroughly. Strain int,
the mixing vessel through a siev,
fine enough to hold the coffee
which is rejected. Add the Sug
ar syrup and stir thoroughly
Dissolve the strychnia in a it'll
less than a quart of boiling watel
Pour the alcohol into this SOlu
ton and stir. Then add the mix
ture of Strychnia, alcohol an,
water to the contents of the mix
ing vessel and stir thoroughly.
This quantity of poison is sui
flcient for two bushels of whea
and will be more than is needle,
for any ordinary conditions
These ingredients may be used i
smaller quantities if the same pr
portions are preserved.
After the poison is mixed, tn
grain should be put in a perfect
ly tight vessel and the poiso
poured over it. Stir very thor
Oughly till all the grain is we
and then slowly. stir in sufficien
cOrnmeal to take up the extr
moisture.
Trapping is a second methO
very commonly employed.
number of manufacturers max
traps (which are specially design
ed for this work. These trap
are to be set in freshly Opene
laterals and are so conStructe
that the animals are caught &
they push the loads of dirt OF
In front of them.
GOphers may also be caugf
in the common steel traps sue
as are used in trapping muskrat
These traps should be set in II
main runways. Dig down to ii
runway and set the trap lev
with the bottom. 1t is not nece.
sary to cover the trap for tn
animals do not seem to suSpet
any trouble of this kind. 1t hs
been found better to put a boar
or some other covering over ii
opening to exclude the ligh
though this is not altogether me-