Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-11-26
STOCK KILLING
ANIMALS BEING
DESTROYED HERE
Work Inaugurated By Presi-
dent Grille of the AgricuItur-
al College, Assisted byChas,
Springer Gives Big Results.

Results of operations against ro-
dent pests and predatory wild animals,
in progress in New Mexico since last
February under cooperative arrange
ment between the United sta es bio
logical survey; New Mexico College of
Agriculture and the state council of
defense, were reviewed at Albuquer
que on November % by f. w. Nelson,
chief of the biological survey Charles
Springer. chairman executive commit
tee, state council of defense; DR.. A. d.
Grille, president, and A. G. Cooley, eX-
tension director of the New Mexico
College of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts.
Rodent pests destructive to crops
and range-and larger wild animals
that prey on livestock, must be
classed among the more important
factors contributing to the losses of
farmer and stockman. For the United
States the annual damage from ma
tive misunderstanding any consider
alton of house rats and mice-is placed
by the United States biological survey
at more than three hundred million
dollars $500, 0O0,0OO
New Mexico Great sufferer.
New Mexico, in common with some
others of the western states, has more
than an even share of wild animals.
Thousands of square miles of her
ranges are infested and injured by
prairie dogs. Jack rabbits ground
squirrels, pocket gophers and smaller
rodents attack her crops-so serious
~ in some locations as to make farm
ing Improbable until these pests are
destroyed. Her great livestock indus
try, associated as IL is with sparsely
populated plains and rough mountain
country, is particularly subject to in
roads by coyotes, wild cats, mountain
lions. bears and wolves. Her valua-
BILE asset in wild game is cons antly
menaced by these animals. Study of
these conditions with statistics on the
damage only make more clear the eX-
tent of these losses; and it is certain
that wild animal enemies cost the state
no less than twenty million dollars
| 500, 600, 000) each year.
Secured by DR.. Grille.
Organized measures instituted several
years ago in New Mexico by the bio
f. logical survey to check these losses
| have been greatly extended in the
| state since last February by an add
tional appropriation of $50, 600, coop
| eratively between the federal govern
ment and the state council of de-
| Tense. This additional fund on the
| part of the federal department was
made available on representations by
| DR. Grille TO the secretary OF agrlcul-
! ture of the Importance OF conserving
and increasing farm products ana
| meat supply. Under this fund extern
| siye operations against prairie dogs
! have been applied in cooperation
! with county agricultural agents, while
! efforts to des roy predatory anlmals
/ have been more than doubled.
Work on Big Scale.
| According TO the summary of oper-
! ations to october 81 by S. Z. Piper,
director of field operations for the bio
| logical survey, destruction of prairie
| dogs has been carried out with 4,43l
co-operators in all parts of the state.
With protection of this years crops
| the first consideration the work was
carried to nearly all farming districts
! menaced by the pest. The yield OF
| 100000 acres has been materially in
! creased thereby. In many OF the
! smaller and more isolated farming
| districts efforts of farmers to prevent
! inroads by prairie dogs have at best
| given only temporary relief. More or
! ten they have failed entirely because
of lack of proper methods. Total loss
| of a crop to prairie dogsshas not been
uncommon; so per cent losses are fire.
! ouent, and when prairie dogs are
| present at all within reach of cultivat'
ed fields they inflict damage of ne
less than 10 per cent of the value OF
the crops Estimating average CROP
returns in New Mexico at $40 pei
! acre, the saving effected in this year
crops-without considering dement's
for future seasons--is thus placed be
tween $440 600 and $1,0O0,0OO. a
/ striking feature of results is to bt
found in many expressions of graft
tude by farmers who have annually
suffered loss of large part OF then
crops
100000 Acres Poisoned.
Further work in des roying prairie
dogs has been carried on with those
controlling range areas. over 900,oO'
acres infested by prairie dogs nav
been poisoned. and seventy-five u
ninety per cent of the dogs have beef
killed at a cost of less than cent
| per acre. 1t is difficult to state tn
..wIK N