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Show Crops Worth $3,461,339 Saved , Through Rodent Control Work Under University of Idaho BOISE, Ida., Dec. 31. Crops worth $3,461,339 were saved from destruction by ground squirrels in 1919 and 1920 through the . rodent control work of the extension division of the Univentity of Idaho in cooperation with the federal government, counties and farm bureaus, says a statement from the office of the extension .division, based on the biennial report of Director L. W. Kluharty. Rodent control work is under leadership of W. E. Crouch "Rodent pests would cause an annual $."i,00(MM)0 loss in Idaho if they were allowed to destroy crops and range unmolested," says this statement. "Loss by ground squirrels alone would be i-t.075.0OO, an estimate based on signed reports of 4037 Idaho farmers, received In the last three years, and representing conditions on 38.971 acres In twenty-nine twenty-nine counties. On this area, a saving Of crops valued at f 1.677,932 was affected affect-ed by the poisoning of ground squirrels, and losses of $409,810 were sustained because of Insufficient or no poisoning. Possible loss, therefore, on 3S.7) acres, had no poisoning been done, was J;'. 087. 742, or H I'S an acre. There are proximately 1,2-SO.OO acres of culti-Vaied culti-Vaied land in Idaho Inflated- with ground squirrels, and this area, at a loss of 33.26 an acre, would suffer to the extent of 14,075,000. POISON BAIT DISTRIBUTED. ! "In cooperation with ' tha fritted States bureau of biological survey,, county farm bureaus and county com - missioners, 872 80 pounds of poisoned bait were distributed 003. 2S& pounds over an area of 982,321 acres In 1913, and 3 7, 560 pounds over 1.047.4KS acres In 1920, a total of 2.030.303 acres In the two years. Cooperation of 9174 farmers In thirty-two counties In 1919 and of 363 farmers in thirty-eight counties In 1920 made this work possible. Halt: distributed cost 393.446.13 for the first year and 12.614.71 for the aecond-a! total of 9176.979.87. Results achieved! by farmera who sent Jn algned re-1 porta wore Interpreted In terms of saving sav-ing per ounce of poison used, and these averages applied to computation of results from poison distributed but not reported upon. Havings In I919tn-taled I919tn-taled $2,344,9113, and In 1920, 31,116,-3i. 31,116,-3i. PURCHASED IN QUANTITY. In the counties where the farm bureau existed the campaign was carried car-ried on In cooperation with this organisation. organ-isation. Strychnine and saccharine were purchased In quantity by county com-mlsa com-mlsa toners and county farm bureaus at manufacturers prices through the cooperation co-operation of the bureau of biological survey of the United Ktates department of agriculture and the university extension ex-tension division. The biological survey sur-vey arranged the details of the transactions tran-sactions with the manufacturers and the extension division handled the matter ma-tter la J a for the state, receiving them In large quantities and distributing them to the counties. By this procedure, material ma-terial aavlnga In coat of supplies were effected. Where practical, poisoned bait waa mixed and aacked at central points In the respective counties, by assistants assis-tants from the extension division, cooperating co-operating with county agricultural gents. In addition to the cooperative poisoning done on private land by land owwera. a large area ot public land 4 state and federal) wag treated by the wx tension division and the biological urvey under direct supervision of the central office. Public land treated in this way In the biennium had an area of 486.793 acres and private land. 1.644,-slO 1.644,-slO acres. Nine assistants were employed em-ployed In thla campaign In 1919 and tea in 1920." |