422 BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 
No. 37. — On the Systematic Destruction of Woodchucks. 
By F. H. Srorer, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry. 
The common American marmot (Arclomys monaz), known as 
the Woodchuck in New England and as the Ground-hog in the 
Middle States often does no small amount of mischief in vegetable 
gardens and asparagus beds, and in fields of squashes, beans and* 
clover, while the burrows which he digs in hay fields are not a 
little annoying, because of the liability that the knive-bar of the 
mowing machine may strike the mound of gravel which has been 
thrown out from the burrow and that horses may be injured by 
stepping or breaking into the hole itself. 
In spite of the incessant war waged against the animal by boys 
and dogs and by the farmers with their guns and traps, it would 
appear that the number of woodchucks in New England has in- 
creased of late years, perhaps as a consequence of the decline of 
the old style farming which occupied much land that is now practi- 
cally abandoned. Several years ago I was led to consider the 
question whether some methodical system of exterminating the 
animal by chemical means might not readily be devised. 
Vapor from Volatile Liquids. — The use of bi-sulphide of. 
carbon vapor, as practised successfully by Professor Hilgard in 
California for the destruction of the ground squirrel of that locality, 
seemed hardly to be applicable to large burrows which slant upward 
in some part of their course, to say nothing of the danger of keep- 
ing in store any considerable quantity of a volatile, highly inflam- 
mable liquid. As a matter of course, bi-sulphide of carbon can 
be obtained at small cost wherever there is any real demand for it 
and it might perhaps be found to be an effective agent of destruce- 
tion when used in sufficient quantity; though there can be little 
doubt that a light petroleum naphtha would serve the purpose as 
well and at less cost. In any event there would seem to be needed, 
as regards the woodchuck, some device for forcing a considerable — 
quantity of the vapor into the very end of the burrow. Perhaps a 
long tube connected with an eolipile blast lamp might answer the 
purpose? 
In case it should ever be found to be desirable to act upon Pro- 
fessor Hilgard’s idea of smothering the animals by the vapor of a 
volatile liquid, a specially volatile kind of gasolene would naturally 
