THE GROUND SQUIRRELS OF CALIFORNIA. 



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horticultural commissioner of Lassen County, in commenting on the 

 work says, "The grand total of 31,669 is very pleasing, especially when 

 we realize that probably not more than one-half the squirrels killed 

 have been reported." 



On May 1 five field assistants were appointed by civil service exam- 

 ination to have charge of rodent control on state and school lands. The 

 state had been divided into five districts with a field assistant in charge 

 of each, as follows: Sacramento District, C. Olsen (resigned), R. E. 

 Travis now in charge; Northern California District, A. E. Gray; North 

 Coast District, Harley Ean (resigned), J. N. French now in charge; San 

 Joaquin Valley District, L. S. Neville; Southern California District, 

 A. H. Call. These men are cleaning up state lands — first, those close to 

 agricultural lands, and second, those in more remote districts. They 

 are assisting the county horticultural commissioners in arousing greater 

 interest in rodent control; they are demonstrating the proper methods 

 of control; the mixing of poisoned grain for this purpose, and the 

 proper methods of distributing poisoned baits. 



Crews working under the direction of the field assistants, operating 

 on state and government lands, have been active in Trinity, Glenn, 

 Tehama, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Madera, Tulare, Riverside, San 

 Bernardino, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties. The field crews 

 of the United States Biological Survey have been active in Lake, Mendo- 

 cino, Modoc, Lassen, Tulare, Kern, Merced and Santa Barbara counties. 

 These state and government agencies working in the closest co-operation 

 and harmony have, during the summer and fall of 1918, destroyed 

 ground squirrels over an area of approximately 280.000 acres. That 

 the work has been well done is assured by the number of letters of com- 

 mendation received. 



The Rodent Control Division, co-operating with the United States 

 Biological Survey, has been able to purchase saccharin at considerably 

 lower prices than those quoted by dealers, whose average price was 

 $23.50 per pound, whereas the saccharin secured through our co-operative 

 agreement was $5.50 per pound. These lower prices also are offered to 

 the county horticultural commissioners as co-operators, and thus far 

 have effected a great saving to the counties of California. 



By an advantageous arrangement with the state prison at San 

 Quentin it will be possible for the division to furnish wasteballs for use 

 during the rainy season with carbon disulphid to county horticultural 

 commissioners or other co-operating agencies at the very desirable figure 

 of $2.75 per thousand. This is from $1.75 to $4.25 less per thousand 

 than in past year offered through the retail channels of trade. Two 

 to three million wasteballs will be available for distribution. 



Last but not least, a word about the exhibits of the Rodent Control 

 Division at the State Fair at Sacramento and the Liberty Pair at Los 

 Angeles. The emergency appropriation by the Board of Control for 

 the prosecution of this important work, being entirely a food conserva- 

 tion measure, it was considered entirely fitting and proper to make an 

 educational exhibit illustrating by charts, etc., the tremendous amount 

 of damage occasioned by rodents in California and other states; the 

 best methods of control, and by habitat groups and study skins, most 

 of the destructive rodents of California. In order that this be done 



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