374 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



SQUIRREL CONTROL IN TULARE COUNTY. 



By Chas. F. CoLtrNs, County Horticultural Commissioner, Visalia, California. 



No sooner had Governor Stephens signed the amended horticultural law which 

 pronounces sentence of death upon the ground squirrels of California than Tulare 

 County farmers began urging preparations for making the law effective at the 

 earliest possible moment. 



In accordance with this feeling which was everywhere in evidence, the supervisors 

 appropriated funds for the purchase of barley and poison which is mixed according 

 to the government formula under the supervision of an expert and dispensed at 

 actual cost to the county. We find plenty of merchants throughout the county who 

 willingly handle this poison without commission, partly perhaps from selfish natives, 

 as it draws customers, but we believe more largely from a patriotic principle. 



Early in July we met Mr. W. C. Jacobsen, Biological Assistant, who has charge 

 of the rodent control work in the national forests and public domains of this state 

 and learned that his division of the United States Department of Agriculture would 

 gladly cooperate with any commissioner in an educational and demonstrational 

 campaign along this line without one cent of expense to the county. We are very 

 strong on partnerships of this nature and lost no time in arranging for a series of 

 twenty meetings beginning July 16 and continuing until August 7 and covering 

 the county as thoroughly as possible. 



Two hundred two-color posters (eighteen by twenty-four inches'), announcing these 

 meetings, were posted in conspicuous places and every one of the fifteen newspapers 

 in the county assisted by printing free notices, many of them repeating these several 

 times and adding favorable editorial comment. 



At these meetings the writer explains the requirements of the new law covering 

 rodent control, states the general conditions in the county, giving data to prove the 

 dire necessity for a campaign of eradication and the advantages to be derived from 

 it, as well as outlining his plans for the campaign and urging cooperation in the 

 work. 



Mr. Jacobsen follows with a most interesting talk upon the habits and life history 

 of these pests and the losses caused by their depredations. More important, how- 

 ever, is his discussion of the latest and most up-to-date methods of control of the 

 various rodent crop destroyers. The Bureau of Biological Survey has had mpn in 

 the field conducting experiments in control methods for the past twenty-five years, 

 aside from the actual extermination operations in national forests, and Mr. Jacobsen 

 has the benefit of the experience of his predecessors as well as that secured by himself 

 in his number of years with the bureau. 



While those present do not represent all the farmers, they serve as disseminators 

 of the information received at the meetings. At this writing one-half of our itinerary 

 has been completed and we have addressed four hundred and eleven people with 

 splendid results already evident. 



I cannot refrain from emphasizing the many advantages to be gained through 

 cooperation with the Biological Survey. These men are trained experts in the work 

 of rodent control and besides being invaluable in a campaign of demonstration and 

 educational work of this nature their services are absolutely free, their salaries 

 and expenses being paid by the government. Commissioner Christierson of San Luis 

 Obispo was the first to avail himself of this valuable assistance and conducted a 

 most successful two-weeks campaign in his county in conjunction with Mr. Jacobsen. 



Any commissioner desiring to cooperate in this work should address the Bureau 

 of Biological Survey, Washington, D. C, or W. C. Jacobsen, Biological Assistant , 

 Berkeley, California. 



We have divided the county into ten squirrel districts ranging in size from 150 

 to 250 square miles and appointed an inspector for each. 



When our series of meetings are closed on August 7, we expect to have all 

 districts bountifully supplied with poison and sufficient enthusiasm aroused to enable 

 us to make a successful cooperative effort. In anticipation of this, we are sending 

 the following notice to every landowner and renter in this county : 



"To the landowners of Tulare County: 



The supervisors have generously assisted in the preparations for eradicating 

 the ground squirrels of this county by appropriating funds for the purchase and 

 preparation of poisoned barley in ample quantities which will be dispensed at a 

 dozen or more of the principal towns at actual cost to the county. 



