ADMINISTRATION 75 



Probably the greatest obstacle encountered in re- 

 forestation by direct seeding is the destruction of 

 the seeds by rodents. The failure of many direct 

 seeding projects has been due primarily to loss from 

 this -cause. Failure has occurred on areas of prac- 

 tically every character regardless of the time of the 

 year the seed was sown. Success has been en- 

 countered only where recent burns had largely 

 eliminated the animals either by outright destruc- 

 tion or by the loss of food supply. The rodents 

 which are most destructive to tree seeds are the 

 ground squirrels, the chipmunks, the mice, and the 

 gophers. It is not strange that they should seek 

 out the seed that has been carefully sown by the 

 Forest officers. In many cases these seeds are their 

 natural food and they are wonderfully diligent and 

 expert in searching it out. 



In cooperation with the Biological Survey, the 

 Forest Service has worked on the problem of de- 

 stroying the rodents. Many methods have been 

 tried out in the field. The free use of grain poi- 

 soned with strychnine has thus far produced the 

 best results and has reduced the loss from rodents 

 sufficiently to secure satisfactory germination. 

 The successful elimination of such injury appears 



