The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-09-28
OUR RODENT PESTS

Inc Prague OIL luSSCL llAS, IL oOniN '
is always to be combatted, more some
years than others, it is true, but the
fight is ever on. Some states and some
classes of crops suffer most, but no
crop or place is entirely exempt from
injury.
But farm and garden pests are not
all known as insects" Far differ
ent, indeed. Olympia, Washington, re-
Gently sent out an amazing statement
as to the damage done in the north
west by rodents. The writer started
out by stating that farmers in all parts
of the northwest are being plundered
by rodents. His list of devastors OF
the crops includes ground hogs, goph-
ers, moles, field mice, squirrels, sage
rats, prairie dogs, packrabbits and
mots. He includes ordinary rabbits
and beaver in his long list of rodent
pests, thoughone might suppose that
the beaver as a valuable fur-bear1ng
animal, would hardly fall into that
category.
His statement is that the depart
ment of agriculture, through the biol
ogical survey, spent nearly $1,OO0,OOO
last year experimenting with methods
of eradicating thSm. There is hardly
an acre of agricultural land in the
northwest that is not infested with
some rodent pest, he claims.
About 10000 jackrabbits were poi
soned, trapped or taken in drives dur
ing the last season. They are still on
the increase. Huge drives with the
hunters using miles of wire netting
will soon begin Systematically clean
ing district after district.
THE ground squirrel has been one
of the most serious menaces in the
wheat growing section of eastern
| Washington. The loss has been esti-
mated at about 81 per acre. During
the last year 100000 acres were
| treated with poison to combat SPUR
rels.
The marmot or mountain ground
! hog came into the spotlight during the
| last two years. In fruit sections, berry
| fields, and gardens he ate off the vege-
tation close to the ground. Everything
tasted good to the grounding. After
a biological survey in one demonstra.
ton 81 dead marmots were picked VI
! in one field"
Good Things to Eat.
There has ben no lack of fruits and
vegetables this season, nor have prices
ruled too high for the average con
sumner. AS an indication of liberal sup
! plies we quote the figures given out by
the bureau of markets for the week
ending Sept. %. The statement is
that the carIot movement of fruits anG
vegetables increased nearly 1000 dur
ing the week ending Sept. %. A tota
of 24,366 cars moved, compared with
1885 for the same week last year
Potatoes showed the heaviest gain
$500 cars. Shipments of grapes, ap
pies, pears, cabbage, onions, celery
and sweet potatoes were also heavier
while most other lines showed de
creased movement. Markets were
peaches strengthened in eastern mar
kets, but declined in others. Onions
were slightly weaker, while cabbage
and sweet potatoes were generally
steady.
Putting UP Hay.
Hay has been selling at low prices
at several recent local farm sales, pos
/ sibly because this has been a great hay
and pasture year. AS one sale clerl
remarked a few days ago, the hay
was stolen" meaning that the farmer
didn't get anywhere near the cost o.
! growing and storing.
This reminds US of some cost ex
periments in reference to hay, made BY
the state agricultural college at Dur
ham, N. H. Tab was kept on the hay
making activities on so farms 1t wa!
found that an average of aboue nine
hours labor was required for harvest
ing a ton of hay: but on some of the
more efficiently operated farms, whert
good machinery was used, it took lesi
than three hours to put ton Of hay il
the barn. Per contra, on rough lane
and where the equipment was crude
and the fields small it took more thai
Is hours labor to put up a ton. Thes'
facts led the college folks to ask
Now, then, how much does it cost t
put up ton of hay?" This exempli
fies the difficulty of keeping cost &C
counts on the farm, and why such cost
vary so widely.
In reply to an inquiry as to tn
amount of water to be used in sill,
filling the truth is that no definit
rule can be made. The amount viii
. depend entirely on how ripe the cor
, is, how long it willis before cutting
, and so on. If the corn is really quit
dry, about a ton of water can be use
per ton of silage, or say six barrels O
water per ton. If the corn is slightl
, frosted a little more water should b
added, according to some authorities
1t is claimed that, as a general rule
most farmers nse too little rather thai
too much water 1t is also importan
that the water is thoroughly nike
with the silage as it is being packe
in. Putting in the water after the sill
is filled, is said not to be so satisfat
tory.
John Rrysdale, a West Virgin
farmer whom it is claimed was Dor
in Scotland, 126 years ago, died in Al
gust A family record gives 1896 a
: the year of his birth and the survivin
I members of his family believe tn
z birth record to be correct
I BY following methods of manag
. ment demonstrated by the extensio
agent, the number of cows producin
e 300 pounds of butter a year was il
u creased from nine in the first year I
2, Al in the second in the six dairy hero
l. in the Clark county Qnd) cow-testin
L association, according to reports to til
d department of agriculture.
Prof. G. l. Christie, of Purdue, e.