RODENTS— ROSELLE 



1837 



of that already deposited. A mole simplj^ 

 heaves up the dirt from beneath, form- 

 ing piles which show radiating cracks. 

 Associated with these piles are the sur- 

 face ridges made by the animal when 

 ranging in search of food. The feeding 

 runways of the gopher never show in 

 surface ridges. 



The natural food of the gophers con- 

 sists of the fleshy roots and underground 

 stems of various plants. They are busy 

 at almost every season of the year (un- 

 less the ground be frozen hard) but are 

 more so in the spring and fall. 



Methods of Control 



Poisoning is the best method for de- 

 stroying this animal, although traps and 

 fumigation are used to some extent. 



Fig. 1. Shows One Form of Trap Used, 

 "Cinch" Trap. 



The most successful poison is prunes, 

 raisins, pieces of apple, potato or some 

 other vegetable into which crystals of 

 strychnine have been inserted. The pieces 

 containing the poison must be inserted in- 

 to the burrows. The burrows are easily 

 located, running on a direct line between 

 two mounds of earth, and one should 

 have a sharp stick with which to make 

 a hole into the burrow. After the poison 

 is placed it is better to leave the hole 

 uncovered, as the gopher noticing the 

 light will be attracted by it. 



Raisin Formula 

 A. G. Cbaig 



To prepare raisins to poison gophers, 

 take a raisin, punch a hole in it with a 

 toothpick, then place a large grain of 

 strychnine into the hole, and roll the 

 raisin in the fingers until the strychnine 

 is broken up and mixed with the pulp 

 of the raisin. Prepare as many raisins 

 as necessary for the day. 



The gopher's mound is almost always 

 located on a short run from the main 

 run or hole. Dig down at the mound 

 until the branch is located, and follow 

 the branch until the main run is reached. 



Place two treated raisins in the run on 

 each side of the branch run and cover 

 the hole with a shingle or chip and soil. 

 If any new mounds are thrown up, re- 

 peat the treatment. We have found it 

 a sure remedy. 



Roselle 



Roselle is sometimes called the "Mock 

 Cranberry." It is adapted to Southern 

 Florida, California and Texas, and is so 

 much like cranberry sauce, when pre- 

 pared, that it is highly prized and is 

 described in substance as follows by J. P. 

 Wester, formerly of the U. S. Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. Mr. Westerns description 

 was published in the Country Gentlema'i 

 of March 7, 1914. 



Roselle, JSiHseus saMariffa L,, is an 

 annual plant of the mallow family con- 

 siderably resembling the cotton plant in 

 general aspect. It grows to a height of 

 from five to seven feet, has profusely 

 branching reddish stems, and bears large 

 yellow flowers, each with a red eye. Aside 

 from its uses as a fiber-plant — to which 

 little attention has been paid in this 

 country — ^it was, until recently, grown en- 

 tirely for the reddish fleshy calyxes sur- 

 rounding the seed pods. These yield a 

 brilliantly colored jelly or jam, and can 

 also be used for making wine. The plant 

 is exceedingly sensitive to frost, and Its 

 culture has accordingly been limited hith- 

 erto to tropical and subtropical countries, 

 A new era for roselle began, however, 

 with the recent discovery by Mr. Wester 

 that the leaves and stems yield products 

 little if any inferior to those furnished 

 by the calyxes. This discovery not only 

 increased the value of the plant in the 

 far South, but also greatly extended its 

 possible range of cultivation. For the 

 herbage alone it can be grown almost 

 anywhere, as in this case it is harvested 

 before the season of frost. 



Blooms Late in October 



As now cultivated in the Southern 

 states roselle is usually planted in Feb- 

 ruary or March. It has the peculiar 

 habit of blooming late in October, regard- 

 less of the time of planting; thus, plants 

 sown in June blossom almost simultan- 



