346 WESTERN GRAZING GROUNDS AND FOREST RANGES 



The best time to use the poison is in February, March 

 and April. The dogs are then hungry and will eat any- 

 thing. As soon as green grass comes they are not so 

 apt to eat the wheat. The best plan for using it is as fol- 

 lows : 



Take a light wagon as a base of supplies; put into it 

 about four bushels of wheat; drive out on the range and, 

 beginning at a definite point, work a regular system of 

 covering the country. The driver can leave his team in 

 the middle of a thickly settled village and, taking a 

 bucket and teaspoon, drop a spoonful at each hole, from 

 one to three feet away, and always on the same side 

 of the hole. This prevents duplication of doses. The 

 rest of the party on horseback, each with a bucket of 

 wheat and spoon, rides rapidly from hole to hole in the 

 scattered places, working up to certain trails, roads or 

 other natural boundaries. It is surprising how rapidly 

 one can cover a country. One can keep a horse on a 

 good jog trot and fire the wheat with unerring aim at 

 the holes and not stop moving unless the holes are too 

 thick. 



Nothing seems to be gained by placing the wheat in 

 the holes, as from experience in its use the dogs seldom 

 eat it when thrown inside the holes. A most convenient 

 way to carry the wheat for this work is to take a gunny- 

 sack and sling it over the right shoulder, resting it on 

 the left hip; then slip a ten-pound lard bucket into it 

 in which to carry the wheat. This leaves the left hand 

 to guide the horse, and the right to use the spoon. Three 

 men can easily put out four bushels a day, or 16,000 

 holes. They work across the country and back, just as 

 a farmer would sow wheat. Sometimes stakes set up for 

 guides are of assistance. Select a period of pleasant 



