758 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



The general condition in so far as infestation was concerned was care- 

 fully mapped, and a card showing a township square had space for 

 comments upon general accessibility of the area, proximity to agricul- 

 tural land, to supplies, and recommendations for methods to pursue. 



After having determined upon the means of procedure, it followed 

 that materials for proper operation must be gathered. Variable con- 

 ditions made it necessary to attack in different ways. In the case of 

 the Oregon ground squirrel, whose period of hibernation extends well 

 into February, the need for action is most necessary immediately after 

 its first appearance in the early spring. Presence of snow (Fig. 48) 

 might occasion delays in getting on to the ground, but fortunately this 

 was not the case in 1918, when a dry winter allowed early operations in 

 northeastern California. 



Inasmuch as all of the work must be done afield fairly uniform means 

 could be outlined by which action could be taken. If, in general instruc- 

 tions to field assistants, the methods desirable under certain conditions 

 were outlined, an efficient piece of work might be done. Generally 

 speaking, if the area was small the assistant could handle it himself 

 without hiring men, but where the needs entailed the hiring of two or 

 more men for a considerable period of time, a camp was established 

 from which the crew would operate. If a piece of state land was 

 located in a rather remote section, a small roving outfit would look 

 after it, utilizing pack and saddle stock. Where the area concerned 

 was of considerable size, and several days or weeks labor was involved, 

 the plan of operating brought field men ahorse with poisoned grain bags 

 hooked to the saddle horn (Fig. 49), riding abreast in cavalry style. 

 Horseback affords the best means for such work, giving the poisoner a 

 greater range of vision ; also allows for a far more suitable distribution 

 of the grain on the ground by scattering. Grain for poisoning generally 

 was prepared at the county seat, where the county horticultural com- 

 missioner was engaged in mixing poisoned grain, and hauled by the field 

 assistant to the camp. If unhandy to do this a rough box was con- 

 structed to care for mixing of small quantities at a point not far from 

 the base of operations. Grain usually could be had close at hand with 

 the only disadvantage that it was often dirty and full of weed seeds, 

 thus calling for recleaning. 



If a body of land needed treating which would take several days work 

 by one man, a rancher in the locality could be hired to look after this 

 when furnished with all necessary supplies by the field assistant in 

 charge. If a base camp could be established from which several parcels 

 of land might be worked, handling of supplies was facilitated by pack 

 train (Fig. 50). 



When these lands were being cleaned up the county horticultural 

 commissioner enforced the control of rodents on adjoining areas, and 

 often it was necessary to hold one or more community meetings to 

 apprise the residents of the contemplated work, even though a series 

 of educational meetings had been held at an earlier date. After a series 

 of such educational meetings (see Monthly Bulletin, California State 

 Commission of Horticulture, Vol. 6, No. 9, September, 1917) had been 

 conducted in a county the horticultural commissioner practically bound 

 himself to arrange for the distribution of supplies to carry on control 

 work against rodents. At the time of the meetings the plan of handling 



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