THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



373 



ball thrown in. Immediately the holes are quickly covered anil an explosion whicto 

 renders the gas much more effective, takes place. Care must be taken, however, 

 not to use this method during the dry season, because of danger from fire. The 

 porosity of the soil during the dry season is also responsible for poor results. 



At il nd of his talks Mr. Jacobsen always urged the farmers present to organize 



a squirrel club for the purpose of interesting every land owner in the vicinity to act 

 at the same time, and to secure supplies, such as strychnine and carbon-bisulphide, 

 at wholesale prices. At each of the twenty-one meetings held, an organization of 

 this kind was formed, where a farm bureau center did not already exist, in which 

 case the farm center would agree to act exactly as an organization formed for the 

 specific purpose of squirrel eradication. Each land owner present interested in 

 squirrel eradication signed up with the secretary for the amount of poisoned barley 

 he wished to purchase through the organization, while Mr. Jacobsen mixed a sample 

 batch of poisoned barley, to show the farmers how the new formula is prepared. 



The attendance for the twenty-one meetings, held in every section of the county, 

 totalled 529, or an average of 25 for each meeting. The total amount of poisoned 

 barley signed up for by those present was 11,520 quarts, or an average of 21.(5 



Flu. 123 



Runways of the California ground squirrels in 

 field after the crop was harvested. (Original.) 



quarts for each rancher attending. This amount has, since the close of the campaign, 

 been more than doubled; in several instances quadrupled, as the demand from people 

 not present at the meetings has been very heavy, due to the excellent results 

 obtained by their neighbors with the poison. 



San Luis Obispo County was particularly fortunate in being the first county in the 

 state to receive federal assistance in this work. That the campaign was highly 

 successful, was due in a great measure to the presence of a government man at the 

 meetings, a tangible evidence that the government was interested in the work. 

 Moreover, a specialist who is an able speaker, is always an asset at any meeting. 



A campaign of this kind is, to say the least, arduous, as any one can understand 

 who knows what it means to hold from one to three meetings every day for two 

 weeks, driving from twelve to sixty miles in order to do it. But the effort has been 

 well repaid by the interest and enthusiasm with which most ranchers are taking hold 

 of their squirrel problem. 



