ANIMAL, PESTS AND DISEASES. 425 



the field infested by dozens. Although the animals are most ac- 

 tive at these times they work only less vigorously throughout 

 the rest of the year. Even in winter, whenever the ground is 

 sufficiently free from frost, they throw up mounds here and 

 there. 



Except for possible brief excursions at the periods of mating 

 and migrating, the gopher passes practically its entire life in its 

 burrow. Indeed, it is a rare occurrence to find one abroad on any 

 errand. They appear to live solitary, each individual gopher ap- 

 parently bent on having his world to himself, and each digging 

 and taking care of his own dwelling. Doubtless where fields are 

 so badly infested that tunnels cross and recross, more than one 

 gopher may be trapped in the same runway. The female pro- 

 duces but one litter of young per year, yet because of her 

 sheltered life raises enough of them that the species is constantly 

 increasing. 



The natural food of the gopher consists of succulent roots and 

 such green vegetation as can be dragged from the surface into 

 the burrow. The coming of alfalfa, with its deep-growing suc- 

 culent roots has largely solved the question of food supply for 

 this animal by providing it with an abundance easily accessible 

 both in winter and summer. Truly the conditions of the alfalfa 

 field are such as to render life easy for the gopher tribe. 



Not only does the animal injure alfalfa by actual consump- 

 tion of the roots, but by covering up a considerable portion 

 (sometimes 20 per cent) of the area badly infested, and by 

 rendering the crop in fields so infested difficult to harvest. 



Many methods of combating these animals have been tested at 

 this station, and poisoning has been found at once the quickest 

 and most efficient. Shooting and trapping require too much 

 time, and fumigation is inefficient. Pieces of potato, apple, and 

 sweet potato, about the size of the end of the little finger, 

 poisoned by inserting a few crystals of strychnine into slits 

 made with the point of a knife, or raisins and prunes treated in 

 the same way, and carefully introduced into fresh runways, have 

 given excellent results. While these baits are as successful as 

 any used, much time is required in their preparation, and the 

 station has therefore undertaken the manufacture and sale (at 

 cost of materials and labor) of a poisoned syrup, one quart of 

 which is sufficient to poison one-half bushel of corn. The corn 

 is put to soak in hot water the evening of the day before the 

 bait is to be used. In the morning the water is drained off, the 

 requisite amount of poison poured over the corn and thoroughly 

 mixed with it. Cornmeal may be used to take up the excess 



