American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-03-22
GREAT DISCOVERY MADE.
Crystal Farmer Growing Strychnine
In Abundance, According to POcateI-
10 Tribune.

The growing of strychnine is some
thing new in the agriculture of Power
county. With strychnine worth s1.35
an ounce and still rising, the prospects
Of acquiring great wealth from grow
ing this antidote for long life of squir-
rels and rabbits are flattering.
County Agent Kjosness has had vi
sions of wealth which would come to
the farmers of Power county through
growing alfalfa and peas for seed.
livestock and other high-priced things
of quality, but in all his widest fan
cies he never tumbled to the possibili-
ties OF growing strychnine The
horse editor of the Pocatello Tribune,
is entitled to a medal for the enlight-
ment contained in the following which
appeared in Tuesdays issue of that
highly interesting and usually accurate
journal:
wv. A. Brown, who is in the city to-
day from Crystal, reports that twenty
three head of fine horses we're poison
ed at one time and died within a few
minutes at Crystal, from poison, which
was put out last summer to extermi-
nate squirrels. The loss Of these fine
horses, some of which we're used on
the city streets of Pocatello last sum-
mer, will be a severe blow to the three
Crystal men to whom they belonged; /;
and at the same time has proved that
poisoned wheat will grow and carry
ff1fa I- in
quantities as to cause the death of
liyestock-a fact that has heretofore
been little known to ranchmen, and
should cause them to be very careful
in the future. The wheat was distri-
buted last summer on a ranch near
Mr.. Browns place, and grew up with
other grain. 1t was harvested, and
| just recently given to the horses. In
the feeding corral were thirteen head
of fine horses belonging to Mr.. Brown,
and ten head belonging to his neigh
bors; four of them coming from the
ranch where the poisoned wheat was
sown. Mr. Brown, who threw the hay
to the horses, states that some of the
horses died within a few minutes after
eating the hay, and when he went in
among them to find out what was
wrong, they were falling all around
him, like soldiers on a European bat
tlefeld."
An American Falls druggist has Civ
en- the Press the following regarding
the preparation of poisoned grain for
, squirrels;
"In preparing poisoned grain the
amount of poison used is about one
sixtieth of a grain to one berry Of
wheat. One kernel of wheat will send
up several stalks, and each stock will
contain a head often containing as
many as fifty berries. To say nothing
of the strychnine that would be wash
ed off by moisture, and absorbed by
the roots, foliage and stem of the
wheat plant, division Of the poison OIL
the seeded berry among the berries
in the new heads, would reduce the
amount of strychnine that could pos
sibly get in a wheat berry (if it were
possible to grow the poison at all
would be too small to take into con
sideration and certainly not more
than the one-three thousandth part o
grain.
And finally, the reproduction o
strychnine in any such a way is no
possible. If it were, those Crysta
farmers have discovered a way to ac
cumulate an immense fortune. Some
bodys rabbit dope has probably be
come mixed with the feed by COM
lcareless person"
It is too bad that this druggist i
such a pessimist and willing to strik
p blow at this promising new industr.
the growing of strychnine in whea
plants.
With much impatience the farmer
of the county will await further en-
lllghtenment from the esteemed horse
editor of the Tribune.