The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-01-22
FARM BUREAU AND
THE GOPHER PROJECT

(From Jan. Farm Bureau Buletln)
One of the most p~erplexing prob
lens of the farmer of northeastern
Montana was the gopher problem,
but the Farm Bureau has solved the
problem and in a few years will ex-
terminate the gopher altogether.
The Valley County Farm Bureau
put on a countrywide gopher exter-
mination campaign, in cooperation
with the Biological Survey, and the
State Agricultural College; supplies
were bought in large lots; mixing
was done at one central station and
the poisoned oats were distributed
from twenty-five points within the
county. During the season 3,48O
farmers distributed over $4,000
pounds of poisoned bait over an es-
timated area totaling $4,000 acres,
with estimated casualties of three
and a half million and a saving of
over S287,980. The saving made by
the Bureau in making cooperative
purchase of supplies alone amounted
to $4,000.
The Richardson ground squirrel is
one of the most serious pests en-
countered by the grain growers of
the country. The losses due to this
rodent have been a constant drain
and have been increasing each year
with the settlement of the country.
The destruction of these pests is n
of the most important problems con-
fronting the farmer. Individual at
tempts at poisoning, shooting, trap
ping and sharing have not been able
to solve the problem. Some farm
ers have poisoned and their neigh
bors have not. Vacant lands have
not been poisoned. The need was
for some plan of organized destruc-
ton. The most effectual and econom-
ical method now known is the prep
aration and distribution Of poisoned
oats on a countrywide basis by the
Farm Bureau.
Organization in the County
The Farm Bureau communities
elected men to certain districts. In
some districts the district was a
quarter-township, in others a half
township, and in others a whole
township was given to m extermin-
ator as these men are called. The
duty of the exterminator was to look
after the nonresident land and to
see that the law was enforced on the
slackers in the community. After
the Farm Bureau communities elect
ed these men their position wa made
legal by being approved by the coun-
tv commissioners. The Farm Bureau
also selected the local distributors or
agents Of the Farm Bureau poison
bait in each community, thus making
the poison bait easily obtained by
every one in the county.
Most of the communities had
gopher days the first part OF April.
On these days every n would get
out and exterminate the gophers on
their own holdings and then in ten
DAYS the same thing would be re-
,peated and at this time the extermin-
ator would post the notices on land
that had not been treated and IN ten
days more they would treat that land
and in this way a very thorough
cleanup was made. The Bureau of
Biological Survey cooperating with
the Farm Bureau furnished free
poison for all government land and
Indian land, the state co-operated
with the Farm Bureau and furnished
free poison for all state and school
land. The railway purchased poison
bait from the Farm Bureau for its
r~ight-of-way and the Reclamation
Service purchased poison bait from
the Farm Bureau, also, for its hold
ings and all-in-all we figure we made
a fifty per cent cleanup on the
ground squirrel.
The saving made to the farmers of