PEAR GROWING IN CALIFORNIA. 389 



GOPHERS. 



Pocket gophers -are frequent orchard depredators. They feed upon 

 tender roots in the soil and any kind of a fruit tree is apt to suffer when 

 they are present. Trees are often completely girdled from gophers 

 gnawing away the bark just beneath the surface of the ground. Raisins 

 and root vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots, 

 poisoned with strychnin and placed in their runways will give good 

 results. In irrigated orchards gophers are not usually troublesome 

 because of drowning. 



SQUIRRELS. 



The California ground squirrel, Citellus beecheyi and varieties, is 

 not usually considered to be much of an orchard pest, yet the writer 

 has often seen their holes in abundance among orchard trees, some- 

 times certain trees being practically undermined with the burrows. 

 The poisoned barley formula of the United States Biological Survey 

 of the Department of Agriculture, prepared as follows, always controls 

 this pest : 



Formula. 



Barley, recleaued grain 10 quarts 



Strychnin (powdered alkaloid) 1 ounce 



Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1 ounce 



Saccharin 1/10 ounce 



Heavy corn sirup i pint 



Thin starch paste f pint 



Glycerin 1 tablespoonful 



In a clean vessel mix thoroughly 1 ounce of powdered strychnin 

 (alkaloid), 1 ounce of common baking soda, and T V ounce of saccharin. 

 Crush all lumps of the soda with mixing spoon. To this add J pint of 

 heavy corn sirup and stir thoroughly to a smooth, creamy paste free 

 from lumps. Over this pour f pint of thin hot starch paste and stir 

 well. (The starch paste is made by dissolving 1 heaping tablespoonful 

 of dry gloss starch in a little cold water which is then added to f pint of 

 boiling water. Boil and stir constantly until a clear thin paste is 

 formed.) Add the tablespoonful of glycerin and stir thoroughly, 

 making sure that none of the heavy sirup paste still sticks to the bottom 

 of the container. Pour this mixture over 16 quarts of good, cleaned 

 barley and mix well so that each grain is coated. 



For mixing small quantities an ordinary galvanized wash tub is 

 convenient. For larger quantities a tight, smooth box may be used, 

 and the mixing may be done with a spade. 



Each quart of the poisoned grain is sufficient for 40 to 50 baits. 

 This quantity scattered along squirrel trails, or on clean, hard places 

 on the surface about the holes, will not endanger stock. 



N. B. Strychnin in any form other than the powdered strychnin 

 alkaloid is not effective in the above formula. 



Caution. 



All poison containers and all uncleaned utensils used in the prepara- 

 tion of poisons should be kept plainly labeled and out of reach of 

 children, irresponsible persons, and live stock. 



171 



