The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-02-01
SAY IDAHO FARMERS
SAVED MUCH GRAIN
SPLENDID RESULTS OBTAINED
LAST YEAR IN THIS STATE
HOPE TO DUPLICATE

WASHINGTON, D. C.-By combat
ing ground squirrels Idaho farmers
saved over $780, ,000-in crops dur
ing 1918. Twenty-Five counties and
4,O25 farmers cooperated with the
department of agriculture in stamping
out the squirrel pest, and as result
277,751 acres were cleared of the ro-
dents.
1t is estimated that this ground
squirrel eradication work in Idaho
saved at least per cent of the total
crops of that state which formerly
went to pay the yearly rodent tribute.
AS one farmer phrases it, 81 used to
consider that the squirrels had mort
gage on % per cent of my crops as
they devoured one-fourth of all l pro-
duced Now after | have cleared my
farm of squirrels, harvest and save
100 per cent of all the crops | grow"
In Bonneville county, Idaho, ia
farmers distributed 6,223 pounds of
poisoned oats over 1871 acres, and
as a direct and immediate result saved
S41,265 worth of farm crops which
otherwise would have been consumed
by the squirrels. In the eradication
campaign, one farmer in this county
distributed poisoned bait over one of
his fields and less than one hour later
when he returned to the field he
counted 278 dead squirrels, rabbits
and 10 rock chucks which had fallen
prey to the deadly bait.
Idaho farmers formerly used
strychnine sulphate prepared in va
riety of ways to poison ground squir-
rels, but because this material proved
unsatisfactory, the use of powdered
strychnine (alkaloid) is now practiced
in the organized campaigns. This
poison acts very rapidly through the
mouth and cheek pouches instead of
through the stomach. 1t is prepared
by mixing 1 tablespoonful of gloss
starch in 1-2 teacup of cold water and
then stirring this combination into
1-2 pint of boiling water to make a
thin clear paste. Then 1 ounce of
powdered strychnine (alkaloid) is
mixed with l ounce Of baking soda
in a little water and stirred with the
starch into a smooth, creamy mass,
corn sirup, 1 tablespoonful of glycer-
inc and one scant teaspoonful of sac
charm dissolved in little warm
water are stirred together. This So
luton is spread over IL quarts of
oats and mixed thoroughly in order
to coat each kernel. One quart of
this poison is sufficient for 40 to 60
bats. The material-scattered one
teaspoonful to a place-should be dis
tributed along the clean, hard sur
faces near the squirrel holes where it
will not endanger live stock and
where there is no chance for the ro-
dents to waste the material by tramp
ing over it or by covering it with
refuse from their holes, as would oc-
cur were the bait to be placed di-
rectly in their burrows.
The saccharin and corn sirup are
used to make the bait palatable, while
the baking soda retard solution of the
strychnine and thus aids the saccharin
in hiding it's bitter taste. The starch |
cements the poison evenly over the |
oat or barley grains and the glycerine
prevents the poison from drying and
busting off the grain. Oats or bar
ley are used because the ground squir-
rels for whom the bait is intended |
are particularly fond of these grains. |
This bait is much better than the I
sulphate poison formerly
used, because it is more effective and
can be stored in quantity for compar-
atlVely long peflouS WIlnouI ueIerlor-
alton.
Columbian ground squirrels are not
controlled by this method of eradi-
cation, as they hull oats very care
fully before eating them and hence
avoid the poison There fore special
method Of preparing bait for these
spirrels is used so that as they hull
the oats the poison flakes off in the
,oIox,+a, ,,oo,,+bc o,,d ki1lc thprn Tho
Columbian ground squirrel infests
the wooded sections of Idaho north of
Boise and Bellevue; it has longer ears
and tail and is of larger size than the
ordinary ground squirrel. 1t also has
an obscure brown -colored streak along
the middle of its back while the hind
portions of it's hips and, thighs are a
bright, brownish-red color.
The Columbian squirrel bait is pre-
pared by combining in dry mixture,