THE GROUND SQUIRRELS OF CALIFORNIA. 



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for orange bark as well as the fruit, either green or ripe, and in 1904 

 we received the news that the Oregon ground squirrel was rapidly 

 getting to be a source of worry for growers in northeastern California. 

 These little marauders provoked protests from residents of the Pit River 

 drainage system as a whole as far as eastern Shasta County. Ranchers 

 spoke of the pest as a " prairie dog" just moving in on the crop, for in 

 many instances the "old-timers" tell of the presence of this squirrel 

 being unknown until recent years. Even now we hear of slow spreading 

 to localities where a few years ago they were unknown. 



It must be granted that co-operative effort against rodent pests was 

 recognized very early, but was not practiced to an extent which might 

 warrant the ridding of a considerable area of ground squirrels. The 

 field for such departures was enormous, and some farmers' clubs took 

 the matter in hand with a will. Dreams of a statewide campaign 

 against rabbits as well as squirrels are mentioned in papers and period- 

 icals of the day but no organization was perfected to handle such a deal. 



In Los Angeles County residents of the Cahuenga District organized 

 a squirrel club as early as 1877, for the purpose of conducting a squirrel 

 "killing bee." This was a very dry season in southern California, the 

 squirrels taking poisoned grain with great avidity, and they could be 

 attacked easily because of their habit of migrating to places where 

 vegetation abounded. This same year at Guadaloupe in Santa Barbara 

 County, funds were subscribed by landowners, who had banded together 

 to form a squirrel club, to purchase poison supplies in large lots to mix 

 up dope according to one of the prevailing formulas. A good start, with 

 good results, followed. Years of -exceptional ground squirrel increase 

 were replete with expressions of effective work in districts. In 1889 

 Contra Costa County had a number of meetings, the most important of 

 which was held at Walnut Creek in January. At this meeting plans 

 for a concerted drive were discussed, as well as methods of control then 

 in vogue. A signed statement was made by all present pledging their 

 desire to do everything in their power to work concertedly. Certain 

 times for work were set and these were to be followed religiously. One 

 selfish individual present had a poisoned wheat preparation for which 

 extravagant claims were made and the formula for which would be 

 parted with only for the sum of $50.00. A committee was to try the 

 product out and report on its worth, then to decide whether the price 

 should be paid or not. 



Among other clubs organized was one at Manteca known as a " Squir- 

 rel Association, ' ' which had been given start by a woman and virtually 

 was a women's club. Socials, plays and dances were given to raise 

 funds wherewith to support the order and to supply prizes to the boy 

 or girl turning in the greatest number of tails from dead squirrels. A 

 bounty of 1^ cents per squirrel was paid to those not capturing prizes. 

 The prizes were all of a practical sort, useful articles of apparel or 

 something of educational value. The action continued throughout the 

 season 1903 with plans for a continuation for the following year, but 

 evidently because the leader of the movement left the district, these 

 were not carried out. As it was aptly put, "the men continued to 

 attack the squirrels with profanity," and did not use anything of a 

 particularly death-dealing nature. 



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