Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-01-19

Lilx emost important field crops alfalfa
constantly suffers from the attacks of
many kinds of hungry creatures. Roots,
stems, foliage, flowers and seeds serve
to fill countless empty stomachs and to
support myriads of living things. Most
of the creatures which rely wholly or in
part on alfalfa for their food are either
useful or too scarce to do appreciate
damage, but occasionally some one spe-
cies appears in such numberless hordes
A. Front foot of the prairie pocket
gopher. B and c. Special tools for locat-
ing and opening gopher burrows.
No other animal attacking the under
ground parts of alfalfa can equal or
even closely approach the gopher in de-
structiveness 1t has proven one OF the
most formidable MACMILLAN pests with
which alfalfa growers have had to con-
tend. Kansas alone suffers a loss of fully
100000 yearly. This damage is not di-
rectly in the destruction of the alfalfa
plant so much as it is in the interference
with the work of cutting the crop and the
loss by reason of having to cut the plant
far above the ground, to avoid running
into the mounds thrown up by the so
phers. This loss amounts to about one
tenth of the entire crop. Besides the
damage to alfalfa, there is a similar one
to clover. timothy, and native meadows,
and the direct destruction of vegetable
gardens and other crops. The gopher
has the external cheek-pouches, strong
lower jaws, fore feet strongly developed
for digging, and very small eyes and
ears.
The gopher tunnels hither and thither
in search of food. at intervals digging
short lateral burrows to the surface
through which 1t pushes the excavated
earth and dumps it outside, thus form
ing the mounds that indicate its presence
and mark its progress. These animals
are most active during the fall and spring
and one Individual may throw up several
mounds daily for several weeks at a
time During these seasons the work
of few gophers in an alfalfa field may
cause the uninitiated to suppose the field
infested by dozens. Although the ami
mails are most active at these times they
work only less vigorously throughout
the rest of the year Even in winter.
whenever the ground issuficiently free
from frost, they throw up mounds here
and there.
Many experiments in destroying the
pocket gophers have been made, prin-
cipally with gases, traps and poison, the
results of which prove conyincingly that
the most effective and economical method
or dealing with this pest is by means
| of poison introduced into food and
placed in their runways.
| Photographers are easily poisoned.
They are very fond of common potatoes,
sweet potatoes, apples, raisins and
prunes The presence of stychnine,
arsenic or other poisons does not seem
to deter them from eating the food, but
| if the poison is sweetened they seem
to eat it more readily. In summer 1t
may be desirable to take the trouble to
sweeten the poison, but in the fall and
early spring it does not seem worth
while to do this. The poisoned food be-
ling introduced to the burrows below the
surface, there is no danger Of poisoning
stock. 1t might be well, however, not
to let swine run in the alfalfa fields for
time after the poison has been put
out.
! Cut the potatoes, or other food, into
pieces not more than three-fourths of
an inch in diameter. Cut a slit in each
piece and with the point of the knife
blade insert little sulphate of strych-
A DOUBLE-HEADER GOPHER TRAP.
/ nine; as much as half the bulk Of a
grain of wheat will answer the purpose.
The moisture from the potato win cause