The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-02-18
MORE ABOUT GoPHERs.

A gopher investigation has been
carried on by the North Dakota Elk
pertinent Station and the U. S. Bureau
Biological Survey. The object of the
investigation was to find the best
method of eradicating the gophers
that have been causing so much DAM
age to crops in parts OF the state.
Different methods have been used but
no permanent results have been Sc
cured. Nearly $4,000 has been paid
out in bounties during the last IL
years by counties. Farmers have also
spent considerable sums in buying
proprietary poisOns. The damage
caused by the gophers is estimated at
at least $1,0O0,000 per year and this
is likely more than doubled in a dry
season.
Oats were found to be the best
grain to use and strychnine the best
poison. The poison is made up into
paste which is coated on the oats. In
this way, as soon as the gopher gets
the grain in his pouch the poison be-
gins to act and it has been found that
it takes but Is as much poison to kill
them in the pouch as it does after
they eat it.
1t was found that the cost of the
treatment would run from two to four
cents per acre, that is, that it would
cost from $500 to- S6.40 to treat d
quarter, this amount paying for the
labor as we'll as for the poison. One
man can in eight hours distribute the
poison on from Is to 100 acres. The
formula for making the poison grain
is little complicated, so that it
should be made up by some one who
is familiar with this kind of work.
In order to make a campaign effec-
tive it should be entered into by the
whole community, or at least by sew.
eral townships, as otherwise the 60
piers will come in from the surround
ing territory.
The Experiment Station is ready to
cooperate in this work but at present
has no funds for extending any help.
A bill is in the legislature which will
provide for small fund to allow buy
ing the material wholesale and furnish
expert help in mixing the poison and
in starting the campaign.
The time to start the campaign on
the gophers is early in April when
they first come out of their winter
quarters. 1t was, however, found that
they would eat the poisoned oats dur
ing the months of May, June and July
and that they would even take them
when there was an abundance of 9TH
er grain.
There are three kinds of gophers
or rather squirrels, that are trouble
some The terem gopher really only
applies to the pocket gopher. Of these
the Richardson Ground squirrel is the
worst. It's range is from the Red
River Valley to the Missouri River. II
is often called the fickertail. The
Franklin squirrel is confined to the
Red River Valley and along the tribu-
Lake and west to the Mouse River
Valley The 10 stripe squirrel is
found all over the state; west of the
Missouri River they are of lighter
color. The poisoned oats is effective
on all three of these. 1t was also tried
out on prairie dogs, and it was found
that if made a little stronger these
could also be eradicated in the same
way.
The investigation was carried on by
DR.. w. B. Bell of the North Dakota
Experiment Station, assisted by U. S.
Elmer, and Stanley E. Piper of the
u. S. Biological Survey, who was as
sisted by James Silver, Jr. The re
suits of the Investigation as we'll as
the formula for making up the poison
are given in circular No. 4, North Da
kota Experiment Station.