The Kendrick gazette., 1920-12-10
Farm Bureau Work

Following is an outline of the
work of the Latah County Farm
Bureau during the past year in re-
gard to pest control:
The chief work IN the pest control
project was the campaign against
the ground squirrel. Early in the
year the members of the executive
committee and the pest control
project committee recognized that
if an effective campaign were to be
carried on against the ground
squirrel it would be necessary to
purchase strychnine comparatively
so that farmers could secure it at
the lowest possible prices. On ac-
count of this. these two COMMITTEES
in joint sesson decided to have the
farm bureau borrow enough money
to purchase poisoning supplies for
all who wished to get them thru the
farm bureau. Sufficient strychnine
alkaloid and saccharine were pur-
chased thru the extension division
to supply the needs of all who
wanted to buy these materials.
During the year 2543 ounces of
strychnine were sold at cost to
farmers of Latah County.
All of the "a organized commun-
tiles of Latah County adopted pest
control as project and all set
Monday of each week of the squir-
rel season as poisoning day with
the understanding that if the
weather were bad on Monday, the
first fair day there after should be
poisoning day. Fourteen of the "a
communities voted to have the rod
ent control law enforced in these
communities and nominated men
whom the county commissioners S
later appointed to act as local in
spectors or supervisors.
Since the close of the squirrel
control campaign, questlonnaires
were sent from the farm bureau
office to each of the AZ men ap-
pointed as inspectors or supervisors
by the county commissioners. Sew
enteen communities and either
spoke to- the owner of the land or
sent him written notice asking
him to poison squirrels on his land.
1t was found that $3.50 acres of land
were being neglected. Owners of
1890 acres of this land poisoned the
squirrels or had 1t done and pre-
vented damage. Owners of GAO
acres did not poison. The men who
owned their land were not served
notices and took advantage OF this
fact and did not poison the squir.
rels.
Six hundred seventy four farm.
ers of Latah County bought strych.
nine thru the farm bureau during
the past season. w. E. Crouch
rodent control expert for Idaho
sent questionnaire to each of these
people asking results of squirrel
control for this year and for last
year. One hundred nineteen farm
ers replied to this QUESTIONABLE. Re
suits reported by these 1l9 farmers
added to estimates for the balanct
based on reports of the 1l9, show
that:
a. 25.s7O pounds of poisoned bal
were used during the season.
b. Sc, 1913 acres were treated will
an average saving of S1.27 pei
acre.
C. The total saving, reported
and estimated, for 1920 was SIP.
: 9O2.
1 This is ar increase Of S23, 80,
r over the total saving for 1919.
| In addition to the savings men
$ toned above. farmers of Latai
. County saved an average of 75c t.
! 81 90 per ounce for every ounce o
: strychnine, and saccharine to mi.
/ the same, purchased thru the tarn
5 bureau. This saving amounts t.
a between $500 and $25OU for tn
, county as whole.
Squirrel control demonstration
Y were given IN three un-organize,
: communities.