The Bessemer indicator., 1894-07-14
SOME TRAPS FOR BUGS.
PATENTS SHOW WHAT A
GENIUS THE YANKEE IS.
-
Most Absurd Inventions, so You Would
Say, and Yet They Arc UsefuI-Ear
Traps Plentiful as Rats and some of
Them Are Absolute Freaks.


embalmed at the patent office In
order that they may not perish.
Some Of the queerest of them are
devices for ehtrapping beasts, bugs,
fishes and oven human beings.
What, for example, could be fun
nier than the notion OF using imita
tion flowers with POISONED honey to
attract noxious insects. The arti-
fetal blossoms, each containing
small quantity of sugar liquid prop
erly prepared, nre to bo fastened 10
twigs. Moths of destructive specifies
sip the deadly nectar and die A
more elaborate devise of similar
description is intended for the pro-
lection of apple trees. 1t is tin
can covered as to it's upper half with
luminous paint. On tho outside OF
the lower half apple blossoms arc
represented with the same sort OF
paint. Inside of tho receptacle is d
small quantity of cider. The can is
to be hung on branch of an apple
tree at night. Insects attracted by
the pictured flowers, light upon tho
can, Tho smell OF the cider induces
them to enter through holes pro.
vidcd for that purpose; they tnen
drop down INTO the cider and
arc drowned. Yet it is not
always easy to distinguish be-
tween crank idea and
useful discovery The poisoned
counterfeits of flowers above de-
scribcd are said to work very we'll
Many years ago man got patent
for method OF killing bugs on
trees by enclosing the whole tree in
Il sort of balloon OF canvas, into
which an asphyXiating gas was to be
poured for the purpose of suffocat.
ing the insects. Every body thought
he was lunatlc. But, now that his
patent has run out, the merits of the
plan have suddenly obtained appre-
citation. and its adoption is alleged
to have saved the orange-growing
industry in California. Several
kinds OF luminous baits for fish have
been patented. One OF these Is
minnow of hollow glass coated on
| the inside partly with n solution Of
gold or silver, and partly WITH
luminous paint The result is very
brilliant object in the water, calcu-
lated to attract any predacious crea.
rure with fins. Another interesting
contrivance is for making frog bait
more seductive. The jerking of the
line equipped with this device causes
the frogs legs to movo as If he were
swimming.
Contrivances for catching insects
are more numerous than any others,
according to the Philadelphia Times,
One OF them is a furnace for slaugh-
tcring potato bugs. To begin with.
u deep and wide furrow is to be
plowed all around an infested field.
Through this trench smooth log is
dragged to make the surface hard
and smooth. The bugs in migrating
to other grounds are unable to scale
the trench and the furnace, which is
n cylinder of iron filed with fuel, is
drawn along the furrow and destroys
them. Other odd devices are car
tridges intended to bo inserted in the
mouths of ant holes and to be fired,
thus communicating sitting vapors
to the subterranean chambers: also
many kinds of lamps for attracting
and burning up the moths of various
worms in cotton fields. There is n
toy pistol for insects, which sucks
them in when tho trigger is pulled.
An ingenious Westerner has in
vented q trap for catching the horn
fly, which is such an enemy to cattle
in some parts of the country. 1t
consists most Importantly OF great
frame to which brush is attached in
such manner that when the beasts
walk through, eager as they always
are to scratch themselves, the flies
will be scraped from their bodies by
the branches. Finally, the frame is
closed up by means of doors and the
captured insects are destroyed.
Nearly every one has heard of the
gold tapeworm trap, which the
patient swallows. Bedbug traps are OF
several rieties, all OF them being
intended to afford attractive hiding
places for the blood suckers and to be
burned or scalded out afterwards.
Much ingenuity has been expended
in rat-traps. Some of them are so
elaborate that no full-witted rodent
would go near them. One requires
Mr.. Rat to come in through door.
which drops behind him and makes
u
light above he ascends flight of
little steps and trots across a small
plank that is so nicely adjusted as to
balance that his weight causes it
to tip aud throw him into tank OF
water. Another contrivance consists
of u double chamber. One chamber
has glass end, through which Nh.
Rat sees two or three imitation rats
having nice time with bit of
cheese. Wishing to join them he
runs around the box, gets into the
other chamber and gets caught
There are number OF devices
which employ mirrors for the pur
pose of luring tho rat to his fate.
He mounts on top of barrel and
sees a toothsomo piece OF cheese.
As he approaches it, he beholds an
other rodent-in reality his own re-
Election In a piece of looking glass
coming for the cheese from tho OPP
posite direction. He makes dash
to get there first, and pivoted
board drops him into the cask. which
is half-full of water. Rats will swim
for long time, so one humanitarian
has patented n water trap with little
shelves around the edge and just
above the surface. On the shelves
are placed small lead weights with
tish-hooks hanging from them. The
captured rat in trying to escape
grasps ono of the hooks, gets it fast
ened in his mouth. dislodges the
piece of lead and is carried to the
bottom by tho latter.
Sparrow traps are OF many differ
ent kinds. Most of them invite the
birds to walk in through n door
which drops behind them, making
them prisoners. When next seen,