RK-233

Bloomington

January 11^th 57

Dear bob As you request all the in for mation about the Gopher

I will give you all that I know about him and all that I have got from some of our Nabors

the gopher bgins to dig his hole as soo as the frost is out of the ground they often dig more than amile

the ar mot nevmorous in in the meadow and but verry seldom found in the tinber

the min chaiber of thair hole is about 2 feet under ground

2

I think that they begin to gather thair food in the Spring

they carry the dirt out in thair Pouches this I know not from hear say but I have seen them at it when we came here they was twice as as many as thare is now they have from 5 to 6 young at a time they get by have thair young about the last of Aprile I have reason to believ that they desroy Patats they desroyed about a quarter of an acre of Potatos

I have never seen more than 2 to gather

3

The domage done by Gopher they doos[ink smeared] damage the meadows in two ways

First they throw up large mound witch makes the meadows rough and hard to mow

2 and they destroy they roots of the grass

they injure the osage hedges the desroy the Potatoes I think that they hardley ever dhourt grain

yours in haste Sam

P S if you will send some Alcohol to me I will collect for you

I start for Kansas [illegible] the first of May