The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-11-28
Large Area Cleared
of Prairie Dogs And
Squirrels This Year

Squirrels This Year
Uncle Sam, taking stock OF work
done during the past fiscal year In
Kidding the nations ranges and farm
lands of the prairie dog and the
ground squirrel-twin pests that strip
productive fields of vegetation and
make fertile lands barren for periods
of years-finds that during the 70
months 1881 ,S6l acres of land has
been baited with poison and pretty well
freed from the rogues. This great
stretch Of land, distributed among IL
states, Is approximately equal in area
10 half of the state of Iowa.
Through this branch of the govern
ment's activity it is estimated the
farmers of The country were afforded
a saving during the year of more than
Sll ,OoO 900. Since the work was UNI
dertaken on a large scale in 1916. a
total of 7,114,51S acres of federal land
and 7O,l13,27l acres of state and priv.
ate land have been treated with poison
bats under the supervision of the
government, and largely cleared of tho
troublesome rodents. Thcs estimated
value OF crops and range grasses saved
during the ) years is placed at $50
000. 900.
Poisoning prairie dogs and ground
squirrels is one Of the activities of the
biological survey of the United States
department Of agriculture. These little
pests, difficult Of approach and wary
of men, infest many millions of acres
of range and agricultural lands. They
select the most productive valleys and
left undisturbed they destroy valuable
left undsiturbed they destroy valuable
forage grasses, including their roots,
and often leave what once were fer.
tile fields a barren waste, %punctured
width many holes, and with only a
few scattering clumps of weeds and
wire grass remaining of their former
vegetation. They may reduce The stock.
carrying capacit yof the lands they at,
tack to zero.
Where prairie dogs attack a cron
nothing is left TO harvest. Corn, wheat
D'N't 49, p'AANg AARp alltAld arc dllOls
the valuable grain and hay crops OF
the country which prairie dogs, ground
squirrels, pocket %gophers, jack rabbits
and similar rodent pests destroy TO
the extent Of $3.50, 000, 900 annually and
reduce the carrying capacity of the
pasture ranges by an equal amount,
With their ally, the rat, and other
small rodents, it Is estimated that the
economic loss due TO their combined
activities approximates $500, 600, 900 a
year.
To check the prairie dog and the
ground squirrel, organized campaigns
were conducted during the past fiscal
year in 16 states, namely. Arizona,
California. Colorado. the Dakotas,
Idaho. Kansas. Montana. Nebraska,
Nevada, New Mexico. Oklahoma. Ore.
gon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming,
The only practical way of dlsposins
of these animals is to poison them.
The poisoned TAFT consists Of oats, OF
which the pests are fond, strychnine,
%saccharine Ito make the poison more
palatsble), and other ingredients.
The bait Is spread over the towns
whose only inhabitants are the prairie
dogs, ground squirrels and other pests
living with them. The 1873 3 ,S6l acres
cited above were so treated during the
year and in addition follow.up work
was done on 1903 ,662 acres, This fol
low-up work was necessitatcd In some
cases by the rain beating the oats
into the ground. where they lay un.
noticed by the rodents. and was In all
cases done to make the first treatment
fully effective.
Assisting the federal government IN
this work through cooperative funds
were states and counties and many
landowners. Their contributions dur
ing the year amounted TO s725 900
Poisoned grain prepared and distri
buted under the supervision OF the
department amounted TO 1895 tons
equivalent TO n solid train load oi
more than 30 cars, while 104, 52S farm
ers and stockmen took enthusiastic
part In the organized work. The dc
partment had In the field IS mer
whose duty II was TO demonstrate tc
state, county and private agencies tn,
Nl'NA FlAfNNlNN way VI NNllik NV WI "
So successful has been the depart
mentS effort to eradicate tho pest
that large areas OF national fores
lands treated for tho eradication o
prairie dogs now afford grazing to 1,
per cent moro cattle and sheep than
before the treatment. Stockmen VIII,
range their stock upon national for
csts whero prairie dogs and groun,
squirrels used to abound but hav'
been destroyed arc greatly pleased h,
the Increased %rasturage thus afforded
"a we'll a. by the fact that the wori
prevents their private land holdings
once cleared of the pest. from bcinl
constantly relnfested by animals from
adjacent government lands. .
Tho prairie dog Is a sociablo llttl,
pest, and seldom lives alone. Its town
are well populated. As an instance
there may he cited an area OF 81 ,6SI
acres treated with poison recently a
tho Fort Bclknap reservation Montana
The average number OF holce per acr
found by the government workers wa
a.. In treating this land the worker
used moro than 8 tons Of grain. 40
ounces OF strychnino, and so ounce
Of saccharine. Tho bats they TAI,
were small averaging about so to TN
quart. and their effectiveness Il showi
10y the fact that approximately o.
per rent OF tho animals were killed.
The cost wa iiis cents per acre.