The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-12-29
$3,OOO,OOOSAVED
BY COOPERATION
AGAINST RODENTS
Federal Government, Ex.
tension Division and
Farm Bureaus
Fight Pests

461,339 were saved from destruction
by ground squirrels in 1919 and
1929, thru the rodent control work
Of the extension division In coopera-
ton with the federal government,
cunties and farm bureaus. says a
statement from the office Of the ex-
tenrion division, based on the bien-
NAL report Of Director L. w. Flu
harty. Rodent control work is under
leadership Of w. e. Crouch.
Rodent pests would cause an an
nual $5,000.000 loss in Idaho If they
were allowed to destroy crops and
range unmolested," says this stafa-
ment. LOSS by ground squirrels
alone would be $4,075, 900, and esti-
mate based on signed reports of 40S7
Idaho farmers, received in the last
three years, and representing condi-
tions on 638,97l acres in twenty-nine
counties. On this area, a saving Of
crops valued at $1,677,932 was e.
fected by the poisoning Of ground
squirrels, and losses of $409,81o
were sustained because Of insult
ficient or. no poisoning. Possible
loss therefore, on 638,971 acres, had
no poisoning been done, was $2,087,-
742 or 1926 an acre. There are ap-
proximately 1,250,000 acres Of cul-
tivated land in Idaho, infested with
ground squirrels and this area, at q
loss Of 1925 an acre, would suffer
to the extent of $4,075,000.
I'm cooperation with the United
States bureau of biological survey,
county farm bureaus and county
commissioners, 872,805 pounds. Of
poisoned bait were distributed
505,255 pounds over an acre of 982,-
821 acres in 1919 and 367,550
pounds over 1,047.485 acres in 1920,
a total of 2,030,306 acres in the two
years. Cooperation. Of 9174 farm
ers in thirty-two counties in 1913
and of 6653 farmers in thirty-eight
counties in 1920 made this work
possible. Bait distributed cost $685.
465.16 for the first year and $82,-
514.71 for the second-a total of
$175,979.S7. Results achieved by
farmers who sent in signed reports
were interpreted in terms of savings
per ounce Of poison used, and these
averages applied to computation Of
results from poison distributed, but
not reported upon. Savings in 1919
totaled $2,344,9S3 and in 1920,
$1,116,356.
"In the counties where the farm
bureau existed the campaign was car
ried on in cooperation with this Or
ganization. Strychnine and sac
charine were purchased in quantity
by county commissioners and county
farm bureaus at manufacturers prices
thru the cooperation of the bureau
of biological survey of the United
States department of agriculture and
the university extension division.
The biological survey arranged the
details of the transactions with the
and the extension
division handled the materials for
the state, receiving them in large |
quantities and distributing them to
the counties. BY this procedure, ma
terial savings in cost of supplies |
we're effected. Where practical,
poisoned bait was mixed and sacked |
at central points in the respective
counties, by. assistants from the ex-
tension division, cooperating with
county agricultural agents. In addi-
lion to the cooperative poisoning
lone on private land by land own
srs, large area Of public land Estate
and federal) was treated by the ex-
.ension division and the biological
survey under direct supervision of
he central office. Public land
;reated in this way in the biennium
had an area of 485,796 acres and
private land, 1,544,510 acres. Nine
assistants were employed in this
in 1919 and ten in 1920"