Show TUG TALKING MI ABOUT THE PRAIRIE NUISANCE frank silvey sends senda lit in correspondence with biological survey and makes pertinent suggestions As the prairie dog nuisance of this county is the greatest menace to to crops the people have we herewith submit to the public some suggestions of frank silvey about how the peo pie should get together followed by a letter from the biological survey received by him which should inform the farmers how to take steps to handle the matter summit point utah feb 4 1931 pear blake I 1 am enclosing you a letter front from mr zimmerman chief ot rodent control bureau of biological survey for the state of utah this letter puts it A straight stia ight up to the people peoli 0 of son san juan comity to organize and cooperate with the fedral fedial government and state in the matter of a real camai i ja laign against the prairie dog nuis anse ance I 1 arif am still corresponding with chenista che mista in an endeavor to net get at tham h cat interested in experimenting to t 1 find fina a virus that will kill K prairie logs dogs and I 1 shall not give 11 up P this plan for some time for action I 1 would i suggest the fol lowin plan first in the record mr Zim letter also a call for a mass meeting in monticello a day or two prior to the monthly meeting of the county commissioners ners say on monday march 2nd and then the following day commissioners could act with the sentiment benti ment of the people to back aback them up would suggest that an open letter be addressed 5 w to some one oe in each of our voting 4 precincts within the county counti that this meeting would be called on a certain date and hour at monticello also a committee should look up at once if this has not been done ai near as possible the number of acres of government land infested by u prairie dog the number of Qu aeres of ya tf stal land and the number of acres of privately ply tely owned land that is infested with dogs this data could coula be shown at the mass meeting so all attending the meeting would be posted sed in this matter all should be interested and now is the timeto time to strike while the iron is hot bof from all reports many settlers are coming into san juan county this spring and summer we want to help them as well as ourselves nature is coming adour rescue with plenty of moisture forthe for the past two years year sor for crops and grass grasi with a route via flagstaff to southern california overproduction of our farm products will be a thing of the past when cheaper transportation is a fact we can interchange goods with all who need them and in part at lea least st bring back home what we use and need ourselves yours sincerely FRANK SILVEY salt lake city utah jan 26 au 1931 mr frank silvey summit point utah dear sir A copy of your letter to paul M tyler chief engineer bureau of mines washington D C to gether with other correspondence has been forwarded to me for attention and reply I 1 beg to advise that bureau of biological survey does not have a virus for inoculating prairie dogs as a control method our method of procedure is that of poisoning since you are in a location where the zuni prairie dog is troublesome procedure in poisoning this rodent is somewhat different than with other species of prairie dogs through repeated tests in san juan county by our experimental laboratory we find that it is necessary to pre bait this rodent with grain lit in order to accustom him to feeding upon grain as this particular species of prairie dog is not totally a grain eating animal and only eats cats grain and feeds under unusual conditions we follow the practice of pre baiting with the same quality of grain that we are going to poison with putting the clean oats out on a clear warm day and leaving it exposed for from 48 to 72 hours before following with a poison coated grain in reference to the government assisting in the control of this post beg to advise that we have undertaken cooperative work with the county officials of san juan county going to considerable trouble to outline and arrange for material to poison these rodents the county commissioners have not been in a to co operate because of lack of funds and to into date we have not made any great headway by way of a campaign wo stand ready to assist and the state has set aside some ounces of try strychnine clinine for distribution in san juan county in the event that the farmers as a whole are willing to cooperate the government is ready to control rodent on federal lands providing the ranchers and farmers on deeded lands will take cooperative steps to control their pests we however must insist on concerted effort when a cam laign is put on if you have had difficulty in controlling this illis rodent with poison we shall be very clad to come into your community and demonstrate on to you and your neighbors the method to follow and give you yon necessary assistance in this way we do not like to make a trip from salt lake to san juan county without having a sufficient organization to to work through to pay for the effort I 1 was in hopes that your county co commissioners ners of san juan county would see fit to set get aside a revolving fund to take care of bait materials and arrange for cooperative rodent control work perhaps this will come in the near future shall appreciate hearing direct from you regarding your trouble very truly yours R SCOTT ZIMMERMAN leader rodent control subscribe for the san juan record |