Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-01-25
mound, 50 that when we come back IN
4 week or SO it can be told whether or

mound, So that when we come back In.
= week or SO it can be told whetner or
not there has been any digging since.
~ II a.. field. is badly infested the balt
should be put out. and. then narrowed
to level of the old mounds. A close
lookout should be kept for: n new
work, and poison put out as soon "a It
Is -saen. This same precaution. snon.a
be- taken in the fall, because the
gophers apparently do most Of their
work early in the spring and late In
the fall. It is probable, however, that
the early spring work will gain the
best results, as the gophers would UNI
doubtedly be more hungry at n q
time. and thus take the bait more
readily.
Trapping the gopher is also very
frequently practiced, although they
r very cunning animals, and it re-
much Roadway by trapping. 1t is
probable II a bounty Of ten or fifteen
cents per gopher is offered, there will
be found boys who a successfully
capture them. The ordinary small
steel trap can be used. With @ wagon
rod,- or some other sharp instrument
the runways should be located the
same as for putting out the poisoned
bait. However, care must be taken
not to disturb these runways to any
great extent. When possible it is best
to dig at n side and carefully open
up Just about on 2 level with the run
way, and BY digging out a little lower,
set the trap as nearly as possible on d
level with the runaway. The idea IS
to make as little disturbance as pos
sible. The trap should be entirely
covered up with fine dirt, not so much
however as to interfere with it's being
sprung when the gopher passes over
1t. There. are also various other kinds
Of traps sold for this purpose.
h Experiment Station at the Agri-
cultural College, has in. cooperation
with h United States Department Of
Agriculture, developed a poison which
ts said to, be very satisfactory in
poisoning these animals. However,
most Of their attention has been given
to the ground squirrel and not the
PACKET gopher. -,
I'm some regions the g~rasshopper
forms a serious pest. These are large
" controlled by using poisoned bait.
The formula for mixing this can be Sc
cured from the Department of Agri-
culture, or the Experiment Stations.
Dodder Is also a very bad enemy of
alfalfa. This is q parasitic plant, the
seed Of which Is so ear the same size
as alfalfa that 1t cannot be removed
from it with thief aiming mill. When
sowed with the alfalfa the dodder seed
terminates and starts it's career as an
Independent plant, but just as soon AZ
the ,dodder comes in contact with the
Alfalfa 1t attaches itself to it and from
then on secures its nourishment from
the alfalfa plant. 1t does this to the
extent Of practically killing the alfalfa.
Dodder is also known as love vine,
and is a yellowish colored vine with
practically mo leaves. When this is
observed in the alfalfa field, IL there ia
any great amount of it the best rem
edy is to pillow it up. If there ia onIv
an OCCASIONAL patch Of dodder. it NAV
be killed by spreading straw over snch
patches and burning them OF. IF
there is not too much straw used the
alfalfa will not be entirely killed. and
will come on later. The best means
OF getting rid of dodder is to be cara
full. not to sow any seed that has 4
In 1t. ~'S' N~sS , -
On the whole it may be saad that
alfalfa is relatively SO free from
enemies and iseases that little con.
sideration need be given to these mat.
tiers. n 'o0 iu.at'
Feeding Of alfalfa will be conader.a
Mn the next article.