The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1920-12-30
Thomas Thompson
JgwELER-oProMBrRIsr
Opposite Bank Of Camas Prairie
oRANoEvuLE, IDAHO
MADE GREAT SHOWING.

Crops worth 5,46l 500 were saved
from destruction by ground squirrels
in 1919 and 1920, through the rodent
control work of the extension division
in cooperation with the federal gov
eminent, counties and farm bureaus,
says a statement from the Office Of
the extension division, based on the
biennial report Of Director L w. Flu
harty. Rodent control work is I'M
der leadership Of w. Il Crouch.
Rodent pests would cause an an
nual $5.0O0,00 loss in Idaho If they
were allowed to destroy crops and
range unmolested," says this state
ment. LOSS by ground squirrels,
alone, would be $4,075,O00, an esti-
mate based on signed reports Of 4037
Idaho farmers, received In the last
three years, and represents conditions
on 63S,971 acres In 20 counties. On
this area, saving of crops valued at
81 .677,932 was affected by the poi
soning of ground squirrels, and losses
of $409,S10 were sustained because Of
insufficient or no poisoning. Possible
loss, therefore, on 63S971 acres, had
no poisoning been done, was $2,0S7,-
742, or 1925 an acre. There are APP
proximately 1,250,00 acres of cultivat-
ed land in Idaho, infested with ground
squirrels, and this area, at loss Of
1925 an acre, would suffer to the
extent of $4,075.O00.
an cooperation with the United
States bureau of biological survey,
county farm bureaus and county COM
missioners, S72,S05 pounds of poison
ed bait were observation-disclosures 55
pounds over an area of 9S2,S21 acres
in 1919, and 367 $50 pounds over
1,0474S5 acres in 1920, total Of
2,030306 acres in the two years. Co
operation of 9174 farmers in 80 coun-
ties In 1919 and of 665S farmers in
80 counties In 1920 made this work
possible. Bait distributed cost $685.
465.16 for the first year and $S2,514.71
for the second-a total of STE, 979S7.
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.
I'm the counties where the farm
bureau existed the campaign was car
ried on in cooperation with this organ
izatioh. Strychnine and saccharine
were purchased In quantity by county
commissioners and county farm bur-
eaus at manufacturers prices through
the cooperation Of the bureau Of bio
logical survey Of the United States
department of agriculture and the uni
versity extension division. The bio
logical survey arranged the details of
the transactions with the manufacur-
ers and the extension division handl-
w eAC hAatChA dlS lOT Tue StdIc, TeCcIN-
ing them in large quantities and dis
tributing them to the counties. BY
this procedure, material savings In
cost of supplies were effected. Where
practical. poisoned bait twas mixed
and sacked at central points in the
respective counties, by assistants from
the extension division, cooperating
with county agricultural agents. In
addition to the cooperative poisoning
done ON private land by land owners
a large area Of public land Estate and
federaD was treated by the extension
division and the biological survey un-
der direct supervision Of the central
office. Public land treated in this
way In the biennium had an area Of
4s5,796 acres and private land, 1874
$40 acres. Nine assistants were en-
ployed in this campaign in 1919 and
ten In 1920"
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