320 . CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES 



clean out any dirt that may have dropped into it, and place the 

 poison a little distance from the opening. Then seal up the hole 

 with a lump of earth or sod, being careful that none drops in on the 

 poison, and put the dirt back as it was before. The gopher will 

 soon return to his labor, and will seldom fail to pick up the bait. 



It is often useless to put poison in holes left open by gophers 

 when at work, as they shove the poison out with the dirt, and it be- 

 comes lost. If .a hole is opened and poison placed therein it should 

 be closed up again, as the gopher, seeing the light and feeling the air 

 where it was not intended, goes to work to remedy that evil by 

 shoving a load of dirt against the opening, thereby covering up or 

 throwing out the bait. 



Sotnetimes the same poisoned grain used for squirrels can be 

 successfully used for gophers by placing it in the runways as first 

 described. 



The Mole. The mole is an insect-eater and as such is benefi- 

 cial, but he destroys so many plants while mining for grubs and 

 worms, that a gardener can well dispense with his services. The 

 best way to do this is to watch for the rising soil and striking in 

 just behind the -mole with a spade or shovel, throw him out and 

 finish him. When he is working in the lawn or the ground is too 

 hard for this treatment, strike into the moving earth with a hatchet. 

 It generally reaches the animal, and we have killed more moles in 

 this way than in any other. 



