Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-03-17
FALSE. ECONOMY IN
THREATENED CUT?
FEAR THAT APPROPRIATION FOR
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY WILL
BE REDUCED AGAIN.
1T SAVES CROPS FROM PESTS
Story of the Mice That Were Destroy
ing Nevada's Alfalfa Fields Some
Years Ago Shows How This VAL
liable Bureau Works.
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

Agricultural department ne mus out
that a considerable part of the inter
est of the farmers of the country is
directed to the working Of the biolog-
ical survey. 1t is the duty Of this bu-
reau to make war on the pests which
attack the crops and to do what 1t can
to save the beneficial animals and
birds.
Two or three years ago when the
appropriation of the biological survey
was cut, the predatory animals in the
West increased in large numbers, and
there was corresponding increase in
the loss Of cattle who fell victims OF
wolves and mountain lions. Instant
ly the stock-groWing interests ap-
pealed to congress and it is said that
more money was forthcoming to en-
able the department to continue its
saving work.
This year it is feared that the ap-
preparation for the biological survey
may be cut again in the so-called in
terest Of economy. 1t is a debatable
question whether economy can be
served by cutting the appropriation
by $4,000 when the cutting will mean
loss to. the agricultural interests OF
many times that sum.
There is the story of how the
biological survey works: Sixteen
years ago a plague Of mice appeared
in the alfalfa fields in Nevada. The
biological survey sent a man out to
the afflicted region to see what could
be done to check the pests. He found
that there were 10000 mice to the
acre, that damage to the amount OF
$4,000 already had been done, and
that If the rest Of the crop was to be
saved he must get into action at
once.
How Nevada Mice Were Eradicated.
The biological expert found that
the birds Of prey had been attracted
in large numbers and were doing what
they could to destroy the ravagers OF
the field, but the mice being in mil
lions and the birds being in hundreds,
it was an unequal contest, though
the hawks and the owls, and strangely
enough some sea gulls which had come
overland to the work, were doing all
that they could and as fast as they
could. 1t was discovered also by the
man on the ground that birds of other
kinds, while they would not eat mice,
would and did eat all kinds Of injurious
insects, occasionally varying their diet
with weed seeds and some little grain.
The first thought was to xii. the
mice with poison grain, but as this
also would have killed the efficient
birds the biological surveys agent
made up his mind to try something
else.
Finally he hit upon the thought of
trying chopped alfalfa soaked in a
palatable but poisonous solution. This
he scattered through the fields and
lust what he expected happened. The
mice preferred the chopped and dead
" mixture to the standing crop and
in less than "a hours the work of
destruction was at its height. There
were 10000 mice to the acre and
the governments expert succeeded in
killing So per cent of them, and sue
ceeded also in covering all the way
from 80 to 100 acres day, the latter
figure being the high acre mark.
Success Brought Extra Money.
Admittedly it seems almost incredi-
Bile, but in one day 1,00o,000 mice were
killed and on the other days the num-
bers slain rarely fell below 100000
The men whose CROPS were saved wrote
to Washington and told what the
biological survey had done for them,
and of the marvellous work of the one
government agent yho had been sent
into the field.
The survey had asked for a small in
crease in its appropriation in order
that it might carry on additional field
work wherever it was needed. The
agricultural committee, which in the
past has been anything but friendly
to the biological survey, in the main
because it knew nothing of the sur.
yey's work, heard the mouse story
saw the proof and voted the extra
money.
The biological survey in recent years
has been charged with the work Of en-
| forcing the TERMS Oh Tie treaty Will
Canada by which migratory song and
game birds are protected. AS re-
suit of it's work the fiocks Of wild
ducks and geese have increased in
numbers and yet there is plenty Of
sport for the sportsmen. At first
there was a great cutlery against the
prohibition of spring shooting, but
now virtually everybody is commend
ing that provision of the law. Our
fowl generally are nesting farther
south than they did when spring shoot
ing was allowed and now in many
places in the fall home-reared ducks
offer themselves to the sportsmen.
Now it seems to be case of shoot
| ing our game and still having it.
Balfour and "RebeIs" Statue.
Just before Arthur Balfour, chief OF
the British delegation to the interna
tional conference on the limitation OF
armament, left Washington, he was
standing in front Of the British EN-
bassv with the ambassador of his
country. Sir Auckland Geddes. Mr.