01 



CHAPTER v.— ANIMAL PESTS. 



(Joi'incKs AMI (;roi>.'ii Sl^l IiaSKLS. 



These pests are very niiiiiei'cms in some jiarts <if tlie I pjirr Cnuiitry. iloini,' 

 sreat injury to erops of all kinds and fruit trees, by sinawini; the roots. 



The followinf; method is reeonmiended by the f. !>. Department of Agri- 

 cnltnre fen- the e.xtermination of gophers: — 



Jiisiiliiliidc of carhoii. — In most eases bisulphide of carbon is the simplest 

 a.i,'ent for the destruction of ;;ophers. It may bc> used as tollows; — (>)ien the 

 Sopher hole where one of the freshest hills has been thrown out. I'our two 

 table.siioonfuls of bisuliihide on a bunch of cotton ra;;s. tow. waste, or any such 

 material, and push it well down into the hole; then close the opeuiui;. The 

 bisulphide quickly forms a heavy suffocating gas tliat flows down the h<ile and 

 along the galleries. Wherever it overtakes the gopher he is quickly killed. 

 The whole operation is perfectly simple and easy. The only difficulty arises 

 from the length of the tunnels, which is so great that the animals may be 

 beyond the reach of the ga.s. Hence it is sometimes necessary to open the 

 tunnel and introduce the bisulphide at two or more plaeos. 



The gas has a vile odour. It should be carefully kept from fire, as it is 

 highly inflammable and explosive; otherwise no danger attends its use. 



Finiiijiution. — Rude pumps, known as " fumigators." by means of which 

 the funics of burning su!i)hur may be forced into the burrows to suffocate the 

 occaipants. are extensively used in some parts of the West, particularl.v in 

 California. They are. however, clum.sy. expensive and less effective than 

 bisulphide of carbon. 



Tnipiiiiifi. — Gopliers are easily trajiped. and (Mice exterminated in a field, 

 others do not soon come in. Their manner of travelling is so slow that onl.v 

 those near the edge of the fii'ld will work in during a summer. In the spring 

 th(> males in their wanderings may settle down in a new place, but this does 

 not often happen. The process of trapiiiug is perfectl.v simple, although umny 

 farmers have assured me that pocket gophers can not be caught in traps. 

 Hence a few directions may be useful. Having selected a fresh hill and 

 observed from which direction the earth is pusheil out. dig down on tliat side 

 until the open hole is found. Enlarge the hole sufficiently to admit a No. 

 steel trap and remove such loose earth as may have fallen in. The trai> 

 should be set very lightly, placed well ilown in the hnlc. sunk in loose earth to 

 the level of the runway, and partly concealed by sprinkling of fine earth. 

 Finding its liole open the goplier jiroceeds to repair the breach, in doing which 

 he steps on the trap and is caught. If loose earth is left in the burrow it will 

 be pushed out in front of the animal, covering the trap, so that it will fail to 

 spring. 



Other methods of trapping gophers have been tried with varying success, 

 and numerous kinds of traps have been devised for the (niri)ose. Five of 

 tliese are figured in the bulletin of the Oregon .\gricnltural ICxperiment 



