432 SOME FOUR-FOOTED PESTS OF THE FARM 



3. Poisoned baits may be made of succulent roots at a time 

 when more attractive green food is scarce. Thrust these down 

 their burrows. 



4. Place a charge of blasting powder with a long fuse attached 

 as far as possible down the hole and fire it. 



5. Wrap a mass of cotton or oakum or other absorbent ma- 

 terial about a heavy stone. Saturate this with bisulfid of carbon. 

 Roll the ball as far as possible down the hole and close all openings 

 immediately. 



6. To keep them from attacking the garden the following is 

 temporarily effective: Tie a cord one foot above the ground out- 

 side rows of peas, or patches of other garden vegetables attractive 

 to woodchucks. Fasten strips of white cloth to this one foot 

 apart, with ends hanging down a few inches. 



Prairie Dogs. In some of our western states where large 

 colonies of these animals occur considerable injury has been caused 

 in pasture lands by their eating or rendering unfit for use the 

 various grasses upon which cattle feed. Since colonies may cover 

 from fifty to one hundred acres or more of pasture land, their 

 presence is no small matter to the owner. 



The common prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is a brownish 

 animal about a foot long. The brown of the back is mixed with 

 gray and black. The under parts are pale yellow. The tail is 

 about three and one-half inches long. 



Control of Prairie Dogs. In the late fall these creatures can 

 be killed by the use of poisoned grain (see page 428). Place this 

 in their burrows, or, better, about one and one-half feet away 

 from each burrow. When this latter practice is followed, stock 

 must be excluded from the area treated. Two applications, with 

 an interval of about eight days between them, should be made. 



In the summer time, when plenty of green food is available, 

 poisoned grain is rejected. At that time poisoned alfalfa has been 

 used with only fair success. Thirty pounds of green alfalfa is 

 chopped into short lengths. A poisoned solution is prepared by 

 dissolving sulfate of strychnia in water; and the fresh-cut alfalfa 

 is thoroughly sprinkled with this. Mix the poison and bait in a 

 metal tub which can be easily cleaned. This poisoned alfalfa 

 should be sprinkled among the burrows at the close of the day to 

 prevent its being dried by the hot sun. Stock, of course, must be 

 excluded from the treated pasture. 



The danger in the use of poison has been elsewhere commented 



