Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-17


| Rat Traps Plentiful ms Rats an,
Some OF Them Are Absolute
Freaks.
American invention las given birtt
to no ends of freaks, which have beer
embalmed at the Patent Office in ordel
that they may not peish. Some o
the queerest OF them, are devices fol
entrapping beasts, bugs, fishes and
even human beings.
What, for example, could be funnier
than the notion of using imitation
flowers with poisoned honey to attract
noxious insects. The artificial bios
SONS, each containing small quantity
OF sugar liquid properly prepared, are
to be fastened to twigs. Moths of de-
structive species sip the dead y nectar
and die. A more elaborate device of a
similar description is intended for the
protection of apple trees. tits a tin
can covered as to its upper 1alf with
luminous paint. On the outside of
the lower half, apple blossoms are rep
resented with the same sorI of paint.
Inside of the receptacle s a small
quantity Of cider. The can is to be
hung on a branch OF an apple tree at
night. Insects attracted by the pic
tured flowers, light upon the can. The
smell OF the cider induces ttem to en-
ter through holes provided for that
purpose; they then drop down into
the cider and are drowned. Yet it is
not always easy to distinguish between
a crank idea and a useful discovery.
The poisoned counterfeits of flowers
above described are said to work very
we'll. Many years ago a man got a
patent for method of killing bugs on
trees by enclosing the whole tree in
q sort of balloon of canvas, into which
an asphyziating gas was to be poured
for the purpose of suffocating the in
sects. Everybody thought he was a
lunatic. But, now that his patent has
run out, the merits Of the plan have
suddenly obtained appreciation, and
its adoption is alleged to have saved
the orange-growing industry in Cali.
fornia. Several kinds of luminous
bats for fish have been patented. One
of these is minnow of hollow glass
coated ON the inaida nartly With a 90
luton OF gold or silver, and partly with
luminous paint. The result is a very
brilliant object in the water, calculated
to attract any predacious creature
with fins. Another interesting con-
trivance is for making frog bait more
seductive. The jerking of the line
equipped with this device causes the
frogs legs to move as If he were swim
ming.
Contrivances for catching insects
are more numerous than any others.
One of them is furnace for slaughter
ing potato bugs. To begin with, q
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 a cylinder
of iron filled with fuel, is drawn along
the furrow and destroys them. Other
odd devices are cartridges to be in
serted in the mouths of ant holes and
to be fired, thus communicating stiff
ling vapors to the subterranean cham
bers; also many kinds of lamps for
attracting and burning up the moths
OF various worms in cotton fields.
There is toy pistol for insets, which
sucks them in when the trigger ia
pulled.
An ingenious Westerner has in.
vented trap for catching the horn
| fly, which is such an enemy to cattle
in some parts of the country. 1t con-
sists most importantly of a 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. Near
ly every one has heard of the gold
tapeworm trap, which the patient
swallows. Bedbug traps are OF several
varieties, 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
him prisoner. Seeing a bright ligh.
above he ascends q fight of little
steps and trots across a small plank
that is 80 nicely adjusted as to balance
that his weight causes it to tip and
throw him into lake Of water. An.
other contrivance consists OF a double
chamber. One chamber has a glass
end, through which Mr.. Rat sees two
or three imitation rats having a nice
time with bit of cheese. Wishing tc
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 purpose oil
Turing the rat to his fate. He mount.
on top of q barrel and sees a tooth
some piece of cheese. As he ap
proaches it, beholds another rodent
in reality his own reflection in a piec,
of looking glsss-coming from the op
posite direction. He makes dash /,