West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-01-23
RATS AND MIC.

RATS AND MIC.
Two Great NuNancCs Against when
Farmer, Have To Contend.
Rat, and nice are two OF the great
est nuisancc> that farmers have to con
tend with They destroy thousands of
dollars worth of gram every year. II
the actual loss caused by these animals
was TO be carefully asccrt1ined / think
The sum total would be something as
tonishing.
Last winter left twcntv-siN shocks
of very good corn standing in the field
until about the lir,t OF February. /
passed them every day, and there ap.
pcared TO be nothing wrong with them
But when | came to haul them IN in
stead ot large ears OF sound corn with
IN the husks, | found only bare cOb3
When cut up they would average over
bushel of good corn To the shock:
when hauled them i'm they did not
yield over a peck. The reason | left
them standing in the field 80 long was
because | thought they would not fur
hish 50 good "A harbor for rats and mice
standing sinsiy, g. tn,.r wO,iiG IL set IN
large ricks in the yard
ann not troubled much with rats
about the buildings. though | keep
neither cats nor dors. A ncighbor
living about 400 yards distant declares
that he has had his share and mine
too, and that he is almost eaten up by
them, though he keeps two cats and
one dog. Ii is not difficult to find "A
reason for this state of affairs. In
erecting a building OF any kind | am
very careful to see that no part of il
shall furnish q harbor for rats and
mice. There are no piles OF old lumber
lying loosely about; all such are laid
upon scahOlds two feet above the
ground. All collections OF brush and
other rubbish are promptly burned.
There Is no chance for rats to find any
place OF refuge about pig-pens, poultry
house. under managers, or anywhere
else. Furthermore, | am constantly
watching for ind cations Of their pres
cnce, and when | find there is one
about, Sc; 4 trap for him, and almost
invariably take him in
My neighbor has over a dozen of the
best kind of harbOr, for them about his
place. Several piles of old boards and
railS lying about, stable floor thrc.
inches above the ground, Il haystack
placed upon a foundation of rails
laid on the ground, managers in the
stable with bottoms n few inches above
the iloor, corner b floors three inches
abovd ground better place for breed
ing rats couldn't be imagined. Is il
any wonder that his place is infested
with rats? ! am satisfied that they de.
stroy from SO to go worth of gran.
etc, for rim every year; and though
he complains loudly he submits to what
he considers unavoidable!
Most of my neighbors are greatly
troubled by rats aud mice. and ar
constantly sustaining severe losses by
them; yet they make 40 pers tent cf-
fort 10 get rid OF them when / tell
them | am not troubled by these ver.
min, they attribute it to good luck, "
or some mysterious influence" about
the place that keeps them away. | adj.
init the influence but do not see any
thing mysterious about it, They can
not obtain n foo hold because | have
provided no harDOrs for them; and
prevent them from making harbors bv
giving the pioneers warm reception.
The spies tina. come 90 spy out the land
never return. Tuis is the -urest. in fact
the only, method by which farm build
ings can he kept clear of them
In place, where they have established
them ,elye, and become numerous. /
would destroy them with either arsenic
or one OF the prepared pOisons found in
the market. With the exercise of proD.
or care this can bee doae with but very
little danger 10 other animals
One winter some wears ago. a friend
OF mine hired person 20 clear hi,
premises OF the hundreds Of rats and
mice that had taken pOs- c->iOn Of them.
TINS man had thr poultry shut UP I'm
their YARD aud the hogs moved % dis
iaut part OF the farm. lie ,heu procured
about halt peek Ol ~wcct-cOrn. coarse
~ ground IL ln band cOru-mi.l. wettpd
tnc mass with water and then thor
oughly seasoned IL with arsenic. Small
quantities of Do Were then deposited il.
boxes and on pieces of board. which
were pIac d where every rat on TN.
place could find them lie then SET
several pals and pans full Of water
about the yard and i'm tine building.
Inc next morning all the boxes that
were cmptici were refilcd with tna
mixture. This was cont nurd for
week but before the end of that time
the stuff remained untouched. and NOT
% rat or mouse could De seen or heard
about the place. A few dead one.
Wert picked up and buried
All the holes i'm the ground were ram.
med full Of old plaster. and tl,.e i'm
buildings were Elled with cement and
covered with Tin. The floors OF tho
buildings We're m SEED. and every pile
NJ trash or lumber that would harb6r
Iai was removed Since that winter
the oW or of thatf3rW has never been
troubled with rats, though for severn