THE BURROW-BUILDER AND ITS USE FOR 
CONTROL OF POCKET GOPHERS 
Construction 
The "burrow-builder" (figures 1 and 2) is made up of 
three basic pieces of machinery: (1) A Ford 32" x 4" x 4" model 
108-1 tool carrier bar with one 24-inch subsoiler shank less chisel 
and boot, equipped with an 18-inch coulter disc and frame; (2) one 
Demster corn can with standard bottoms, and one Large whole center 
drop plate equipped with one #5-302 press wheel drive assembly less 
press wheel; and (3) two wheel assemblies, including axles, spacers, 
cup, and two 4" % 8" tires and tubes. 
Torpedo 
The torpedo, which is 24 inches in diameter and 20 inches 
long, forms the burrow and facilitates the placement of the bait. 
It is made of hard steel and is attached to the bottom of the sub- 
soiler shank; the front end is solid and hard-surfaced to resist 
wear. The torpedo is sloped at a 60-degree angle to give it “bite" 
and to hold the machine in the ground. Its cylinder has a hole 
through the midsection where the feeder tube connects, and is open 
on the posterior underside to provide an outlet for the bait. 
Bait-Feeding Mechanism 
A Demster corn can is mounted on the rear of the sub- 
soiler, and a two-wheel assembly is fastened to the can by means 
of metal supports and a chain drive. The wheel assembly is 
mounted over the rear of the torpedo in a position to pack the 
soil over the cylinder and serve as a drive for the feeding mech- 
anism. The Demster can is connected by a flexible hose to a built- 
on feeder tube on the back of the subsoiler shank. A small 
plexiglass section is inserted at the base of the can to enable 
the operator to check on bait feeding. By changing the position 
of the two bolts that hold the feeder mechanism to the subsoiler, 
the depth the torpedo penetrates in the ground can be regulated 
from 4 to 16 inches. The flexible tube connecting the can to the 
tube on the back of the subsoiler shank will lengthen or shorten 
to permit a continuous flow of bait as the depth of the torpedo 
is changed. 
