The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1920-08-28
Getting Rid of the Rodent Pests

were injured by rodents last year to
the extent Of two dollars an acre.
Needless to say the farmers are going
on the warpath. Perhaps the best
work was done In Weston County.
The farmers had nearly cleaned out
the rodents on their farms. but a
reinfestation took place from govern
ment land. Thus the people are get
ting tired OF killing prairie dogs on
their farms until tho big ranches and
government lands are treated nj the
same time. AZ Mr.. l.. y. Reed re-
ports: "The dogs have simply moved
In from the state aud government
lands again, and are Just ss bad as
ever"
During 1919 Montana made great
progress In rodent determination. In
Blaine County 1000 farmers spread
poisoned bait on 10000 acres. In
Teton County tho farm bureau had
a gopher committeeman In each com.
munity. aud sb00 farmers kiiled 2, !.
ilS.000. gophers with poisoned bait
In fact. practically all counties m
Montana report corresponding fg.
ures In this campaign Perhaps
Toole County showed the widest GO.
operation 90 rtown and county ON.
ciais. farm burea us. schools and IN.
disiduais u was estimated that therr
wcraat teass two eophess nm scre FOR
thp whole county n hcsriy 'eomplese
cleau.up Mas made fnasosnc areas. A
cDunsys~idc raid was made on athe
fitckcr-tsiI gopher In Sheridan coun.
tspbofhron private and Atsits lands.
us'ing'' 7e!ooo'' pounds OF apoisoneSf
bait. .sIas2ail oh sysa s'i'I .hlo9sa.
II Thus through the whole list OF
counties OF the seventeen Far West
s,atc1wqepei sSSSlka63GliiA
showing the tons OF bait used, The
,sYss.aasp ofs sas2rA ,mii,s Iyss,ed
ant'the .iniriroHS OF rodents killed.
Bringing The 0gsr.s-togcth for the
whole Wesi, We npd ,tlpu pralrie. dogs
occupy more than lQ0OOo.CoO aersM
OF land, and that " ,IsiS 2,oOo 600
ncres Of privately pwoed crop and
forage land aud 100000 acres OF
public lands were treated. xlth The
result Of destroying .seyrny save 10
nine,y-five per cent OF The dogs on
that area. Ground squirrels we're
practically extcrminated on 1. 2st,-
600 acres OF public domain and i3.-
$4,000 acres OF private land. No
complete statistics are available ON
the number OF gophers. Kangaroo
rats and Jack rabbits destroyed. In
Union County. New Mexico. kangaroo
rats were cleaned out OF 1 900 acres
of crop land. aud seven community
rabbit drives nettcd more than ioo.-
300 Jack rabbits. = $40 H.'.a - =
The scourgr Of Rabbits
In additIon 10 the sfo7 600 used
BY the BIologicar survey In rodent
ixtef mtnatioa tl. states contributed
'7ii.Si5 10 the work Moreover. I
nuci, of'the Ectual hard work. AZ h
'lways the cass IN s,ich matters. was
lone without money aud without I
rice. Tho rodent experts furnished
guidance aud directions aud helped
n mixing and distributing the bait.
fhe farmers ana ranchmen did the
est
The Wide experience of farmers
nd government experts with injur-
Gus rodents has brought out certain
pecific methods which are most en-
ctiye IN exterminating these pests.
n studying these methods we may
~ well begin with those which are
ppiicabie to Jack rabbits. Rabbits
e any kind a. allowed to multiply
'ithout restraint become serious
'ests. Take the weil-known ease OF
australia. The common rabbit was
Introduced into that country IN 1854.
'uring the twenty-five years follow
NIX that date the Australian Gov.
rnment expended more than So
10000 tryins 70 destroy them. In
lew South Wales alone 10000. 900
abbits were destroyed In a single
ear. That state once offered a re-
Yard OF yi25.000 for an effective
abbit remedy but no one ever quail
ed for II.
Australia tried various infectious
iseases IN campaign 10 extermin-
to rabbits. Several world famous
acteriologists worked on this prob
em, but all TO no purpose. Bounties z
lso proved TO be no good. The rab-
its Increased under a bounty sys-
en-! The Aastrallansl used large 3
uantiiiss OF phosphorus mixed iif
lait' as a bait.s Phosphorus IL com. =
lOnIy cohsihered' too .daneers,,,a ifor +.