Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1917-11-30
AUSTRALIA PLAGUED
BY MICE AND SNAKES
Arthur Williamson Writes of Some
of the Troubles of the Farmers
in That Country

+. c. Forrest has received a letter
from Arthur Williamson of this city.
who is now in Australia in the in
terests of the International Harvest
err company, from which the follow
ing interesting extracts are taken
The crop conditions are very good
in some districts, but poor in others.
There has been an u2usual amount
of rain in South Australia; Victoria
and parts of New South Wales. In
fact at present there are floods In
many parts and vast areas of agri-
cultural lands under water, and the
rainy conditions still continue and
the damage to crops is extensive in
certain districts.
Earlier in the season they had q
mouse plague throughout the coun-
try and around grain and hay stacks
they killed them by tons. 1t sounds
unreasonable, but such was the case.
Around the stacks or wheat piles they
built runways of sheet iron with an
incline on the outside so the mice
could crawl up, trying to get to the
grain. They would then jump into
the runways and, Gs they could not
then crawl up the vertical sheet iron
walls, they were driven along these
runways into watts or tanks and killed
by drowning or in any convenient
way. Several tons of mice would be
killed around these stacks during q
single night. In many places seeding
of grain in the prepared ground was
impossible as the mice would follow
the drills and dig up the grain.
Large stacks of hay were completely
ruined by being chewed up into fine
bits by the mice. The amount OF
damage done can not be estimated.
I'm travelling through the country
one sees large piles of sacked grain
of last years crop and | think the
larger part is still on hand. Some of
the states are going in for bulk han
ding of grain, | understand. but only
on a very limited scale at the pres
ent time.
There are some reports that the
snakes are coming out this season In
larger numbers and earlier than
usual. These comprise the tiger
snake, the copper heads and the
black snakes. All are very poison
Gus, the first more so than the two
latter, but the bite Of all is fatal II
it is not properly treated. | under
stand their fangs will not penetrate
the ordinary shoe or leather leggings
and that they will not strike unless
come upon suddenly or teased. but
will try to get away. Some attribute
the large number seen to the heavy
rains, which cause them to leave the
lower flooded grounds for the higher.
One writer states that the mouse
plague is responsible, as there are
certain species of birds which the
snakes fall a prey to, but now the
mice are an easier prey for these
birds and the snakes have been left
alone to feed on mice and frogs as
well. However, the extent of the so
called snake plague can only be de-
termined later on. | am not trying
to tell you all of the bad things
about the country. for there are
many good ones. but the foregoing
will give you some idea OF the trying
conditions with which the Australian
farmer has to contend at times.
These things combined with the very
high prices the farmer pays for his
machinery, makes one feel that he 10
getting more than his share OF re-
verse;.
Il have visited several country
stock shows and some beautiful stock
has been shown, including horses.
cattle, sheep, hogs and fowls. In
fact. do not believe have ever seen
better
1.-THE harvest will not really be on
until about the first OF December on
account of the late seeding and wet
at present"