The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-04-19
HOW TO Fight
The GOPHER
TO KILL IS BEFORE THE
SPRING CROP Is RoRN-PoIsoN
Is MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON
IT is HARD TO USE AFTER
GREEN CROP STARTS.

AnEEN (nOF SIAHISs
Farm Stock and Home: The time
to kill the gopher is before he is. In
other words, kill off the crop that win
tered oVer before the young are born,
and a lot of trouble and loss will be
saved. In the Colorado Station press
bulletin S. Arthur John tells about the |
various methods that one may use in
fighting the pocket gopher. The sug-
gestions apply quite largely to the
gray, or 'hickertaiT' gopher as we'll.
One should remember that gophers are
hard to poison after green food comes
in plenty, as they will leave the pois-
oned dry food for the more succuIent
growing crops.
How to Mix the dope"
Poisoning is the best method to use |
against these pests when they are en-
countered in large numbers. The fol-
lowing formula has been tried with
success and is recommended by the
United States department Of agricul-
ture:
Four ace powdered strychnia
su1phate, four ounces green coffee,
six ounces alcohol, four eggs (whites
only, one-half gallon thick sugar
syrup.
Mix the coffee and whites of eggs
oLu = Tie IiliSluI6 SIdIu over night.
Add a quart of cold water to the
coffee egg mixture and stir thorough
lN. Strain into the mixing vessel
through a sieve fine enough to hold
the coffee, which is rejected. Add
the sugar syrup and stir thoroughly.
Dissolve the s%trychnia in a little tesN
than a quart of boiling water. Pour
the alcohol into this solution and
stir. Then add the mixture of strych-
mia, alcohol and water to the con-
tents of the mixing vessel and stir
thoroughly.
This quantity of poison is sufi-
cient for two bushels Of wheat and
will be more than is needed for any
ordinary conditions. These ingredi-
ents may be used in smaller quaint
ties if the same proportions are pre-
| served.
After poison is mixed the grain
should be put in a perfectly tight YES
sci and h poison poured over it.
Stir very thoroughly till all the grain
is wet, and then slowly stir in suf-
fcient corn meal to take up the extra
moisture.
Another Plan.
Another poison is given by the bio
logical survey, which is as follows:
One ounce strychnia sulphate, one pint
thick sugar syrup; one-half bushel
shelled corn.
Soak the grain and let it stand
over night. Prepare the poison by
dissolving the strychnia sulphate in
one pint Of hot water. Add the sugar
syrup. Pour the water off the grain
and then let it soak in the poison
for several hours. Take up the ex-
cess Of moisture with corn meal.
Vegetable Bait,
A third and more simple method Is
often used where but a small quantity
OF poison is needed. Potatoes. carrots
or other vegetables are cut into pieces
about half an inch in diameter. These
are slit with. a knife and a small
quantity of s%trychnia about the size of
half a grain of wheat is inserted into
each piece. Raisins are sometimes
substituted for vegetable bait.
How to Use Poison.
Any of the above poisons may be
used by placing them in the main
runways of the animals. If the bats
are put in the laterals, they are apt to
be pushed out by the animals with the
dirt they are bringing to the surface.
1t requires some experience to find the
main tunnels, but attention to the
habits Of the animals as described
above will help. 1t is best to confine
the work entirely to the end of the
tunnel where the animal is digging,
which is indicated by the fresh mounds
of earth that have been brought up.
The main tunnel Is usually found
about midway between the last two
mounds. A sharp stick made from a
broom or spade handle is needed. If
much work is to be done, it will pay
to have the stick shod with a sharp
point by a blacksmith, and a lateral
piece of iron, on which the foot may
rest, put about fifteen inches from the
point, SO hat the foot may be used in
pushing the instrument into the
ground. With this tool the ground is |
prodded until kernels Of grain or pieces
of poisoned bait is then dropped into
the runway n a ciod thrown on top
or the hole left open. The poison
should not be covered with earth. Fail |
ure of the animal to dig any more in
dicates it's death.
T~rappine-its, Too Slow.
Trapping is a second method very
commonly employed. A number of
manufacturers make traps which are
specially designed for this work. These
traps are to be set in freshly opened
laterals and are SO constructed as
they push the loads of dirt out in front
of them.
Gophers may also be caught in the
common steel traps such as are used
in trapping ~muskrats. These traps
should be set in the main runways.
Dig down to the runway and set the
trap level with the bottom. 1t is notj
necessary to cover the trap for the
animals do not seem to suspect any
trouble of this kind. 1t has been found
better to put a board or some other
covering over the opening to exclude
the light, though this Is not altogeth-
er necessary. The traps should be
frequently scalded to take away the
animal ordor. Records from the Kan
sas experiment station show hat from
half to two-thirds of the traps set in
this way will be covered with dirt, so
one should not be discouraged at the
results Of the first attempts. Plenty
of traps should be used and the work
steadily carried on throughout the day.
Gases Not Satisfactory.
Gases, such as carbon bisuIide, have
been repeatedly tried for these pests, /
but success with them has only been
Indifferent. The tunnels are so long
and rambling that the gases seem to
soak away into the ground before the
piers stop the burrows at the first
sign of the coming gas.
The question is often raised as to
why the pocket gophers are so much
more numerous than formerly. There
are probably a number Of reasons
for this. The opening of lands to
agriculture furnish ideal conditions
for the gophers to prosper, and man
kind has persistently killed the nat
ural enemies Of the animal. In the
field, gophers are preyed upon by
owls, the great blue heron, snakes,
weasels, and the little striped skunk.
The owls are especially useful, for
they sometimes live almost entirely