The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1916-04-13
GOOD POISON FOR
COPHERS, SQUIRRELS


from trip to the head of Beech
creek. He reports the snow still so
deep that in some places he had to
lead his horse.
That the Forest Service, through
its local officers, is interested In the
good roads movement is attested by
the fact that two of the members of
the committee on good roads from
Grant county are Forest Service Off
cials. The John Day district is rep
resented by l.. c. Pratt, forest clerk,
and the Mt. Vernon section by f. G.
Mack, forest ranger Botn men are
enthusiastic good roads boosters.
The squirrels and gophers have
come again. These annoying pests
do untold damage to farmers and
ranchers' crops, to say nothing of the
damage to grazing ranges and for
age crops. II is high time that a
concentrated attack be made on
them. Information as to the best
methods for the destruction OF these
and similar pests can be had on ap-
pllcation to the Forest Office at John
Day, Supervisor Bingham recon-
mends the following as the best meth
Cd OF poisoning; one gallon OF wheat,
barley, or oats is placed in 5-gal-
ion can. with this is mixed two cups
full of sugar. and about one ounce
Of cyanide OF potassium. This last
should be the dry cake form. and not
that which is prepared In bottles.
over this mixture enough boiling
water Is poured to dissolve the sug-
ar and poison and thoroughly soak
the grain.
In the process OF preparation the
mixture should be stirred at all
times. and care must be taken not to
inhale the steam which contains the
fumes OF the poison. This prepara-
tion should stand over night. and
In the morning be again stirred In
order that the poison may reach and
be absorbed by each kernel
A few spoonfuls OF this poisoned
grain put under old logs will destroy
all chipmunks. and two or three
dozen kernels placed ht the entrance
or on the mounds OF ground squir-
rel holes Will suffice to rid the land
OF these pests This mixture is
sure shot" for mice. packrats, etc.
The United States Reclamation
service recommends special pre-
paration called "Gophergo." manu-
factured by the Gopher Manufactur-
Ing Co, 30 South Chester Avenue.
Pasadena. California. The prepar-
alton consists OF machine-poisone
raisins and grain mixed, and the
method OF use is to insert about a
teaspoonful OF the mixture In each |
hole, II at the end OF an eight-day
period fresh mounds appear the pro-
cess Is repeated until all the pests are |
killed. Experiments by the United
States biological survey show that
green alfalfa is an attractive bait
for meadow mice and ground squir-
rels. The following formula is re-
Green alfalfa cut In lengths OF
10 4 inches. 20 lbs, strychnia sui
phate, l o.; water. quarts.
II has been estimated that the tot
Al cost for the destruction OF pocket
sophers, ground squirrels, etc, var
les from lOc to zoe per acre. de-
pending on the situation and abund-
ince OF the pests.
The use OF motor-driyen vehicles
n the scheme OF fire protection is be-
ng rapidly developed by the Forest
service. These machine enable for
'st officers to get TO fires in the short
'st possible time, thus arriving at the
ritical period in the fires develop
nent, before 1t has reached the stage
where IL burns with greatly in
reased rapidity, and when It's sup
'ression Ia relatively an easy matter