Evening star., 1915-06-27
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT Is DOING

From Montana to Texas there Is to
he little Joy after July / among the
Wild creatures of
Fighting ApAinst the mountains and
prairies who make
Animal Pests. themselves a mi
sance in a civilized scheme of things.
dred and twenty five thousand dollar
price on their heads, and the United
States biological survey is making
preparations with the beginning of the
new fiscal year literally to make the
fur fly.
1t is the first specific appropriation
for use in exterminatinE animal pests
that the survey has ever had. and,
though this bureau Of the Agricultural
Department has done some work in
cooperation with the forest service
toward Kidding limited areas of the
national domain Of destructive crea-
lures by using small sums available
from general appropriations. there has
never before been such "A good oppor-
tunitr as the present one for compre-
hensive work. Agents of the survey
have been in the field for several weeks
comforting with farmers and ranchmen
of the west as to ways and means to
be made use of In the campaign. and
1t Is believed that the work can begin
in considerable area as soon as the
appropriation becomes available.
The animals against which tho war
of extermination will be waged vary
widely in character and habits and
nave little In common except their ca
pacity for making themselves nui-
sance to man. Chief among the enc
mics of the farmers. truck growers and
orchardists that will receive attention
during the surveys campaign are
prairie dogs, ground squirrels, rabbits
and field mice. Prairie dogs are also
enemies of the stockmen. since they
destroy many acres Of grass Preda-
tory animals. however, are the great
enemies of the cattle-raisers. Among
them the war Will be waged chiefly
against coyotes and the larger wolves,
though measures will also be taken
against mountain lions, wildcats, foxes
and other predatory creatures
The states most concerned in the
work are those among the Rocky
mountains and on the great plains,
Where the population is sparce The
area of operations will be divided into
ABOUT nine districts. each in charge of
an inspector
Strangely enough, the biological sur
| vey finds. the numbers of some animal
pests are often increased rather than
diminished by the presence of human
population up to a certain density
WolVes on the great plains of the west
almost disappeared Immediately after
the killing off of the vast buffalo herds
but waxed strong and numerous again
When the cattle raisers brought in their
herds and SO furnished, unwilling
though it was. a new wolf food supply
Population affects the prosperity OF
the prairie dogs, too, it is found. They
nourish best where the human popula-
ton ts just numerous enough to have
driven out the majority of the coyotes
foxes, badgers and birds of prey. their
natural enemies. Rabbits are not seri-
ously interfered with even by fairly
dense population. and exist almos,
wherever there is woodland and food
The destruction of prairie dogs has
been gotten down to a science by the
experts of the biological survey, who
are now able to exterminate these ami
| mails in many cases at a cost of but S
cents an acre. They have worked out
a formula for a preparation that go
masks the bitter taste of arsenic that
grain soaked in the poisonous mixture
is taken into the mouth pouches of the
animals and held there without the
The poison is as effective through the
| mouth pouches. it Is found, as when
the grain is swallowed.
The problem of exterminating the
coyotes ana other larger pests will be
attacked by men hired in the neigh
borhoods on retaining salary. with a
reasonable bonus for each pelt taken
| An important element in this particu-
lar phase of the work will be the hunt
| ing out and destruction of the lars Of
| the beasts. In this way many young
will be destroyed.
| Officials of the biological survey be-
| leve that the new work that Congress
has made possible will be of the great
est benefit to farmers and ranchmen
and that with the organization once
established the business of freeing
| large areas of the pests should go for
ward rapidly. An idea of the need for
the work is gained from the estimate
| of the biological survey that the annual
loss from predatory animals is well
| over $4,000 900, and that by the destruc-
| ton of prairie dogs alone the pro-
ducing value of grazing lands in the
| infested areas can be increased from
| 20 to so per cent.
! After having fought for years a good
Col yts