25 
although it does not do its best iu heavy clays because o£ its liabi- 
lity to heave out during the f reezing and thawing of the spring. Al- 
falfa does best on an alluvial or other light soil with a permanent 
supply of water underneath, where it is not supplied by irrigation, 
and with no intervening stratum of clay or coarse gravel between 
the surface and the water. Both of them supply nitrogen to the soil 
by means of the bacteria that lives on the nodules of their roots ; sc 
do beans, peas, locust trees, and in fact all other legumes. Alfalfa 
has a higher nutritive ration than red clover, aud hence is more val- 
uable for stock that is fed largely on corn or the non-saccharine sor- 
ghums. Whether or not it is more nutritious than hay depends 
upon how each are cured. When both are cured equally well alfalfa 
hay is the superior. The clovers will succeed under irrigation, but 
under these circumstances it is much more profitable to grow the 
alfalfa. 
Where a farmer is growing alfalfa or clover, and especially in «■ 
country where these are not generally grown, he will find he has to 
feed about all the gophers and moles m the country. They know 
enough to leave tough prairie grass roots and go where they can 
find something better. There is no way to avoid this. The only 
way is to kill them. As our correspondent states, trapping is slow • 
work. The Idaho agricultural experiment station lias issued bulletin 
No. 4, covering this ground, and the conclusion to which they ar- 
rive is that Carbon Bisulfide is the best exterminator of moles, goph- 
ers, squirrels, and all this class of vermin. Prof. E. W. Hillgard, of 
the University of California, where squirrels are very plentiful and 
destructive, has also experimented with Carbon Bisulfide, in fact, 
originated that method of treatment, and in his hands it has proven 
a cheap, safe, and reliable remedy. It lias also been tried on a num- 
ber of farms aud ranches in different parts of Idaho and Washing- 
ton, and the results are eminently satisfactory. The method of 
using it is to pour some oi it on balls of horse dung, which seems 
to be the best aud most approved medium, and place it, late in the 
evening, in their burrows, closing the entrance at once. 1 he best 
results are secured by using what is known as Fuma Carbon Bi- 
sulfide, manufactured by E. R. Taylor, manufacturing chemist. 
The chemical will cost but one cent a hole, and the to- 
tal cost, including labor, should not be far over two cents a hole. 
Extreme care must be taken in using it not to let fire in any form 
get near the vapor as it is very highly inflammable. It is heavier 
than air, and when used as above, aud. the hole covered up, fills the 
hole with vapor which means death to whatever is found iu it.. Many 
farmers in the State of Washington have used it on tracts of a thous- 
and acres and with success. Mr. W. N. Ruby, of Colfax, Washing- 
ton, reported to the Idaho station that he had saved from fifteen to 
twenty thousand bushels of wheat by the use of $150.00 worth < 
chemicals. 
