746 



TPIE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



From this type of organization we advance to that where a man 

 especially trained in all phases of rodent habits, life history and methods 

 of control takes an active part. During the years when the United 

 States Department of Agriculture had men in the field conducting 

 special investigational work in exterminating rodent pests, very often 

 an opportunity was offered to help out a community sorely in need of 

 the proficient services of such field men. Mr. S. E. Piper of the 

 Biological Survey did this work in a number of counties, depending 

 upon those active in the welfare of the community to follow the work 

 up, for his schedule could be in no wise anticipated from year to year. 

 Lack of proper legal procedure at any one time gave a most acceptable 

 excuse for anyone not inclined to rid his fields of squirrels. This fact 

 alone discouraged many from continuing the work they themselves 

 had started. The next move which foreboded considerable success was 

 the taking up of county-wide campaigns by the farm bureau organiza- 

 tions under the leadership of farm advisers. In 1915 Ventura County 

 went through such a campaign under the guidance of Farm Adviser 

 Wm. B. Parker, backed by an ordinance which gave fairly broad 

 powers. Other farm bureaus undertook the handling of poisoned grain 

 at wholesale cost which entailed a great saving for those taking advan- 

 tage of low prices. 



We have in a measure neglected the legal phase of rodent control, 

 although referring from time to time to laws and ordinances. 



LEGAL AID IN CONTROL WORK. 



Farmers' clubs, with other organizations having agricultural and 

 horticultural interests as a basis for their existence, began very early 

 to appeal to legislators for laws more adequate than those extant or 

 those that had been rescinded. One legislator of Alameda County 

 suggested a joint conference of Alameda and Contra Costa County 

 people at which a law could be drafted for submission to the legis- 

 lature, after having been passed upon by good legal advisers. Another 

 legislator admitted that the law at hand was inoperative and strongly 

 urged the preparation of a good compulsory law to follow the rescission 

 of the bounty acts. The increasing damage to crops continued to elicit 

 information bearing upon the best procedures to follow. One con- 

 ception of proper means is illustrated by a statement that the board 

 of supervisors of each county should appoint for each township an 

 inspector, whose duty it would be to make note of every open squirrel 

 burrow, for each of which the county auditor was to levy a charge of 

 50 cents. The moneys so collected would be divided equally between 

 the school fund and the salary of the inspector. One regrettable feature, 

 of course, would be to control pests on the government lands, but this 

 would be compensated for by compelling many holders of big tracts 

 to get rid of lands being held for speculation, for eradication costs would 

 be greater than the values set thereon. In the end a convention was 

 called for October, 1873, which meeting all interested were urged to 

 attend, especially members of the legislature, farmers' clubs and granges, 

 who should bring with them some sort of a drafted law or at least good 

 ideas as to what was needed in a legislative way. The bay counties 

 were well represented, and even San Joaquin County had sent envoys. 



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