SUPPRESSION OF RODENTS 189 
because of its habit of killing pocket-gophers, 
is quite generally called the gopher-snake. A 
writer in The Pacific Rural Press for May 12, 
1888, says of the reptile: 
It is an act of insane folly to destroy them, for 
they are the most active and efficient allies of the 
nurseryman, farmer, and fruit raiser in the destruc- 
tion of those most pernicious pests, the gopher and 
the squirrel. They destroy more gophers than all 
the appliances that man can bring to bear in the shape 
of traps, poisons, and gases. 
On the whole, snakes, except the venomous 
species, are deserving of the farmers’ protec- 
tion. Like the toad, the smaller kinds feed 
almost wholly upon insects; but an inherent 
prejudice induces thoughtless people at every 
opportunity to destroy these friends of agri- 
culture. 
Poisoning and fumigation. Undoubtedly the 
most effective methods of getting rid of ro- 
dent pests of all kinds is by poisoning them, 
and by trapping them. Directions for doing 
this applicable to the various kinds will be 
found in the last chapter, and need not be 
dwelt upon here. 
