BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 261 



representatives of the Bureau, and provided to the cooperators at 

 cost by the local organizations. Many hundreds of tons of poisoned 

 grain have thus been distributed on their lands by cooperating 

 farmers. In the States of Montana, North Dakota, and Idaho alone, 

 more than 50,000 farmers have taken part in the campaign and have 

 provided more than $100,000 to procure poison supplies for the pur- 

 pose. Farmers in these States have also contributed labor to dis- 

 tribute poison upon several hundred thousand acres of Government 

 lands adjacent to the farmed areas, in order to prevent reinfestation 

 of their lands. This work has resulted in the practical elimination 

 of these pests over many millions of acres, and is adding materially 

 to the grain output in all the States where work is being conducted. 



RABBITS. 



The continued depredations of jack rabbits upon wheat, barley, 

 oats, beans, alfalfa, and other growing crops and upon stacked hay 

 * has necessitated active measures for their control in many of the 

 Western States. Wherever a market was available and conditions 

 were favorable the campaign for the destruction of jack rabbits was 

 directed to killing these animals by drives and trapping in order 

 that the meat might become available for food. One small com- 

 munity in this way shipped over 20,000 rabbits to California markets. 

 This feature is being developed to a more extensive utilization of 

 the palatable meat of these animals, by systematizing their capture 

 and marketing. In places where it was impracticable to kill them 

 for market, poisoning operations for their destruction were con- 

 ducted. 



The bureau has also assisted orchardists and truck farmers, espe- 

 cially in the Eastern States, by advice and demonstrations concern- 

 ing the means for protecting themselves from losses by cottontail 

 rabbits. 



POCKET GOPHERS. 



Field parties operated on a part of the Uinta National Forest, 

 Utah, and the Nebraska National Forest, Nebr., during the latter 

 part of the summer, killing pocket gophers, which were abundant 

 and destructive over valuable grazing lands. They are also extremely 

 destructive to alfalfa fields and orchards, and to various crops. Dem- 

 onstrations have been given in many places to farmers as to effective 

 and economical methods for killing them. 



NATIVE MICE AND WOOD RATS. 



In cooperation with the extension service of the Virginia Agri- 

 cultural College, an educational campaign was undertaken among 

 orchardists of the State to enable them to control the serious dam- 

 age caused by pine mice. Demonstrations were given in many local- 

 ities throughout the infested area. Wherever the methods of the 

 bureau were carefully carried out, orchards were effectually protected 

 and heavy losses from these small pests were prevented. Similar as- 

 sistance was also rendered in several other States which reported 

 damage from pine, meadow, and deer mice, and from wood rats. 



HOUSE RATS AND MICE. 



A nation-wide educational campaign was begun, to acquaint the 

 public with the serious drain upon the national food resources caused 



