j2X xziizsn Evnjnrg orxmvEit .Thursday may 5, 1910.
page wo
TiiEPESTPROBLEfj
. - " " i i " - '
Scientific and Practical Sorp
tion of thjB Question.
OF WTEREST TO FARMERS
A Sensible Treatise on the Practical,
I Effective and Safe Use of a Pol
" on, the Result of Care-
, v ful Reiearch.
It ia difficult for one who !s not close
ly In touch with the agricultural co
.4 f X f .
unions m our western states to re
alize tbe tremendous amount of dam
' age which Is done by Buch little - ani
mals as field mice, prairie dogs, ground
- squirrels, pocket gophers,- and other
rodent pests. Yet it has been one of
' the most serious and most difficult
problems that farmers have had to
olve, and the Department of Agricul
ture; with its. hundreds of experts, has
been trying to devise some plan by
which tbe rodents could be killed oft.
Private Individuals, wlththought of the
-wealth which would be theirs if they
could work out some scheme which
would exterminate rodents, have put
their wits to work, and attempted to
solve the problem. ' Farmers' organlsa-
tlorrn hnv Maif mm Un miwma4 I
them, but have found them impractical
or unsatisfactory. The little animals
have been protected by old Mother Na
fture, who has endowed them with ex
traordinary keen instinct, and so far
It has been the fanners who have lost
In the battle for supremacy.
' Entire Crops Have Been Ruined.
The pest problem is s growing prob
lem. They are continually growing,
multiplying. Where there were mil
lions of the rodents a few years ago,
mere are Hundreds or millions now,
The rich productive fields of our fer
tile western states offer them an Ideal
home. Plenty of food, with a great va
riety, is always at hand, and they are
thriving on the "fat of the land." Some
times as much as three-fourths of a crop
has been destroyed by gophers, while
in a few Instances, the entire crop baa
been ruined in a very short time by
swarms of the rodents.
The Entire West Is Infected.
Different sections are infested with
different pests. In the Southwestern
part of the United States prairie dogs
work untold damage to the growing
crops. By instinct the prairie dog is
a social animal, always llvine in col
onies which vary in extent from a few
acres to hundreds ot square miles.
New Mexico, part of Kansas, Colo
rado, Oklahoma, Arizona, Utah and
Texas are literally alive with prairie
aogs. xnirty-two of these little ani
mals will eat as much grass as one
sheep, so it can easily be figured how
much damage they will do in one sea
son.' Estimates' show that the grass
consumed in Texas alone would sup
port over 1,563,000 head of cattle, while
from one-half to three-quarters of the
crops are destroyed by these rodents.
Is it any wonder Mr. Farmer has been
trying to find some method of ridding
his lands of these pests?
Losses by Gophers Are Enormous.
Pocket gophers work farther north J
than prairie dogs, but like them, they I
are last workers, and great eaters.
Like the busy little bee, they are sel
aom quiet, and have a keen instinct
which warns them Instantly of danger,
mailing tneir extermination extremely
nimcuit wot only are they ravenous
eaters, out. ny burrowing under the
ground, they destrojy even more thai
they eat ffeaflows. pastures. aal
corn-fields are thrown cp by their bur
rowing, and much of the fanner's hard
work is lost Great damage is done to
farm machinery by the stones and peb
bles round in the mounds, and orchards
are often destroyed. '
Bubonic Plague Danger.
. In California, Washington and Ore
gon, ground squirrels are especially
troublesome, and Inflict a loss of mil
lions of dollars. '-. Squirrels are very
hard to poison, for their appetite is
changeable, and bait must be carefully
prepared to allay their suspicions. It
must also be pleasing to their palate,
or they will pus It by. in their search
for food. For this reason, the nolson-
lng of ground squirrels needs careful
study, and must be scientifically treat ,
eL It has recently been found that1
the squirrels in California are the
means of carrying plague infection, and
hence their immediate extermination.
Is demanded for sanitary reasons. '
Farmers Have Tried Everything.
and wise expenditure of tin and:
money, using only the right methods,
so inat nui vaiue wiu ce receivea tor
eicry cent expended. '
The originator of this new process
has published a very interesting book
entitled "Pests 'and Profits," wnloh
deals with all phases of the pest prob
lem. - ;.
Co-Operation Will Bring Results.
The Bureau of Biological Survey of
the United States Government recom
mends that 12 Mi cents to 15 cents per
acre should be spent for poison grain
on any field that is badly Infested with
gophers or ground squirrels. This
should be spent at the beginning of
the season Just when the pests appear,
when . they are hungry and will eat
anything.
Non-resident land-owners ought to
be compelled to do their share towards
exterminating gophers, ' prairie 'dogs,
etc., for as long as unoccupied lands
are allowed to remain as breeding
places they will continue to multiply.
Thete little animals multiply so rapld
: n
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: :-Sk
lOllRi;
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t to
ii. it n ii ii ii ii ii ii BVw - ii
Tr , . . m . . iuet uiu auiuiam uiuuiuiy bo rapid-
How have the farmers been flKhtln . i .v. i- -
w vucuwi . octt, iue nave uiea
every plan recommended, for you know
tne drowning man will always grasp at
a straw. Trapping has been tried, hut
owing to the great amount of work
necessary to attend to the trans it has
not been successful. Farmers have of
fered bounties for the bodies of dead
rodents. Children have made pastime
profitable by shooting the pests, and
stiii tney nave Increased so raDidlv
mat rarmers have become discouraged.
Poisoning is acknowledged by all to be
the most effective means of killing
them off, but even this plan has not
worked out as well as might be ex
pected.
i - W llalnff PnUnn U Fn
Of all the poisons used, strychnine
nas been tested and found to possess
more advantages than any other. It is
a most deadly poison, acting surely
ana quickly, while it has a very bit
ter taste, yet rodents reject bait cop
taming It less often than. they do bai
t
t
.
During 1910 froth all points on the
gon
AND
lire
Nayig
ation
Railroad I
Company!
a.
V
Rates
$72.50.;
$G0.00..
60.00 '
G0.00'
G0.00
To .
: Chicago . : ; . . :. . v: .......... . . .
, Council Bluffs . . . . . . .......... . . . .
v v Omaha ; v'.',.;
Kansas Citv t .
' 'St. Joseph .
St. Paul ...................
St. Paul via Council Bluffs . . . . . . . .'
Minneapolis direct . . . '. . . . . ,
Minneapolis via Council Bluffs...,
Duluth direct .................. ; .
Duluth via Council Bluffs. . . . . . . i; .
-St. Louis
Tickets will be on sale Mav 2d and 9th; Tunc
2d, 17th and 24th; Julv 5th and 22d; August 3d;
September 8th. . , .-
. ; ' .Teh days provide for the going trip.
1 Stop-overs iwthin limits in either direc
tion. Final return limit three' months , ,MK
from date of sale, Uut not later than Oct
obcr 31st. One way through California :
- $15.00 additional. . - ''
Inquire of any O. R. & N. Agent for more com
plete information.
. G0.00' '
63.90 ;
,60.00'
63.90;
66.90''
67.50i
67.50"
i
m;; McMurray,
(lencral Passenger Agent
containing other pofscr.s. But this poi
son has not been used to the best pos
sible advantage by farmers.
Many will not use It at all, owing to
their fear that Eome member of tbe
family might come In contact with tbe
poison. When It Is used it has been
necessary to prepare it In a hlt-or-mtss
manner, mixing directions often being
so faulty that most of the poison Is
! wasted. In fact, the Year Book of the
department or Agriculture, lws, states
that fully one-half the strychnine used
in the United States is wasted. This
la a very conservative estimate, prob
ably three-fourths being nearer the
right amount.
Not only has there been a waste In
mixing the poison, but after the grain
iifsprepared, and put out, it very soon
loses its poisoning qualities, particular,
ly if the ground is damp or the weath
er rainy, for the poison Is easily dis
solved and is washed out of the grain.
The New Discovery.
It has remained for a Chicago chem
ist, Mr. F. A. Bolduan, of Chicago, 111.,
to come to the rescue of the farmers
In solving this Pest Problem. A proc
ess has been perfected which over
comes all the disadvantages of the use
of strychnine. This process is patented
In the United States and Canada. ,
One wonders why some one did not
think of it long ago. But that is the
case with all great inventions. The
greater they are, the simpler they are.
And in the simplicity of this process
lies one of its great advantages. It does
the work far better than old-time meth
ods, and yet does not cost so much. Its
universal adoption will bring about the
complete extermination of rodents in a
comparatively , short time. Realizing
the danger connected with mixing the
poison, this process is being introduced
in drug stores where a Mixing Machine
does , the mixing so thoroughly that
every kernel of grain contains a cer
tain known amount of poison. These
machines are a simplified form of the
machines which' are used In every
pharmaceutical laboratory for making
pills or tablets. Tbe farmer brings his
grain Into the station and has It poi
soned 100 per cent right. The poison
is "set" In the grain. Just as dye is set
In a fabric, so It will not be washed out
by rain, or lce its value when put out
on damp ground.
i V'; - . Losses Art Cut Out.
All the lo88. nil the guess work, all
the danger of the old plan of each farm
er mixing his own bait with a wooden
stick or paddle is done away with. This
work ia all done at the station, far more
thoroughly than It has ever been done
before. No danger of some of the kernels
being well poisoned,-while other con
tain only a trace of the poison. An is
mixed alike, and the strychntne is set
so that it will hold Its value for weeks.
even In' rainy weather. This has not
been the case in the past Farmers
have lost thousands of dollars by the
poison being washed out of the grain
shortly after being put out.
Strychnine, sweetened and scented,
so the rodents will be actually lured to
the bait Is used in this new process.
This overcomes another disadvantage
of the old-time method, for sometimes
rodents have rejected bait containing
strychnine on account of its bitter
taste, but the New Pcoceas Strychnine
Is scented with oils which rodents are
very fond of.
The Pest Problem Is a Serious One.
' Haphasard methods have been tried
and found wanting and the' time has
now come when the extermination of
will remove the .danger and it Is time
and money wasted to a certain extent,
to neglect to put bait out on vacant
fields. ;
The agricultural interests every
where are appreciating this new poi
son system. ' The farmer can take his
wheat, oats- or alfalfa, or any other
edible product to the mixing station
and have U mixed up according to this
patented process. It relieves him of
all the worry and care. Hereafter he
will have no poison utenBlls around.
He Is forever relieved of the dangerous
task of handling the poison and above
all Is sure to receive bis wheat, alfalfa
or oats thoroughly poisoned at a cost
-v .V v V... V.
fore.. 1 .,
The policy is to cater to the likes
and dislikes. of these little animals.
Give them what they want to eat and
results are sure to follow. ;
It will pay every farmer to investi
gate this latest development of the
pest problem, for it is a subject which
touches the pocketbook of every West
ern landowner. He should arouse his
neighbors to the importance of all act
ing together in the great warfare,
whose battle cry is 'The rodents must
to,"
, In Toyland.
The paper doll loved the china doll.
"Will you be my wife?" said he.
"Not In a hundred years." the replied.
"You were not cut out for me. "-
Chicago News.
' Farmyard Frivolity.
The Hen Chicken-Doesu't this' new
hat bide my frozen comb nicely ?
Chanticleer-How did it get frozen?
The Hen Chlcken-I . was born that
way hatched irom a Cold storage egg.
-Pittsburg Press.'
' ' '' '. v " . . . .,.
-It Would Seem So.
, The short man ought to do more work
Than tha tallest man can do it
Tor the economic reason that
He's so much hearer to It.
'.-; Browning's Magazine.
. 0
Takes His Medicine.
Tommy s Mother-Why aren't you a
good boy like Willie BJones? V
Tommy Hub! It s easy enough for
him to be good; he's sick most of the
time. Philadelphia Record.
l mm : . : r i;; 1 .! ,i;, . i h n;
III AK;. J. Mil: J;'.
1 1 '..
RE they rambling
your mind
through
Well wager they are!
-
Let us suggest that you
spend a few moments look
ing at our new spring styles
. You can! gain a better
idea from the garments
themselves than you can
from any style book. "
Our suits are the produc
tion nt makers hn turn
y " VUL
authoritative fashions' and
we are Bhowing a choice
and splendid selection of ex4!
elusive fabrics.
We are experts at fluting
and we'll 'spare no pains in
having every garment fit
your figure perfecteiy.
Please remember. that luck or chance will never enter into a
clothing purchase you make here. 1 v
ASH BROTHERS,
: Glothiers, Hatters and, Haberdashers ;
Chopsl. ' '
If every Mary of today
A little lamb had, say, what
An asset would be here for pay .
With beef so costly! Hey. what?
' ; ' Boston Herald. v
Tho Real Way.
"I shall tell my daughter that if she
persists in marrying Jones I'll not
leave her a cent."
'It'll do more good to tell that to
Jones,"-Cleveland Leader.
.1
Modern Methods.
The eayins "take my pen in band", j
Was once the thins, you see. -
But now each man of business takes '.
His typist on his nee. t .
r Princeton Tiger. ' '
Long, Sharp Spikes Not Needed. ' 1
Billy Hamfftcn. one of the greatest
stealers that ever wore a spiked shoe,
claims that long, sharp spikes .are a
needless menace: Hamilton; ' never
wore anything but short, dull ones,
and he was the most dreaded base
runner of bis "time. ' -
'I
: BASEBALL TIPS
Miller Hnggins, formerly 'of thi
Reds, is snowing his 1007 form about
second base for the St Louis ;Natton
STEWARD'S
One Night Only.
9.
s
4
Frederic Belasco
' PRESENTS
MM
113 iWl
The Dramatic Sensation of the Season, from Augusta
. Evans' Book of the same name. ;
'A
OPERA
HOUSE f
MA
Prices: $1.50 $1.00, 75c, 50 cts.
Sale of Seats Opens for, Subse ribers on Friday, ; May 6th, at '. Tan
Baren's Xews Stand. Regular Seat Sale next day
NOTE A foil house for ST. E IMb Secures all the Belasce Attrac
i f tlons for la Grande in the fatnre. " -
als.
Of
Larry Lajole of the Cleveland Amer
icans is proving to be, an excellent
fine baseman. . The position is new to
the clever and hard bitting player. . ' '
The ' Chicago club's new . catcher,
Leslie Nunamaker, did great work for
Lincoln last year and was one of the
leading catchers of the Western league.
Manager Jennings of Detroit , has
about- decided to carry ten pitchers.
They are Mullln, Donovan, Summers,
Willett, Lellvelt, Works, Kllllan, Per
noli, Browning and Stroud.
The effect of a two years course In
the Clarke school of baseball Is shown
in the case of Owen Wilson, tbe Pi
rates right fielder, who has developed
from a raw "bush leaguer" Into a fin
ished artist .
It Is rumored that Fred Tennev. th
1 ... i. . . - -'
Prn.fi A f 1 1 now com wnen tne extermination oi . wrs. auonais- nrst baseman,
1 OUiaUCl, UrcgOU the rodents Is an absolutely live issue W soon retire from the game to be-
WWf vt4ttAAAft J condition that must be changed.' This event Merkle will be the regular inl-
Feed Is Cheaper
r It always is if you buy of
'. , t,;f- - V' ' ? ' ' '
Grande Rcmde
""- J J)
CashCo.
Both Phones, Main 6
v
I am prepared to furnish Dry Chain Wood, air
so partly seasoned wood, to all comers. Kind-"
ly phone your order to ! -
. j PHONE RED mi
Send the Observer to Your Fi i end,
mm w wuv vui; vjf vivov vrvyviaivu 9a. avft
V.
. J ' .