The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-19
TRAPS AND SHARES.
COMTRlvANCES THAT SHOW WHAT
A GENIUS THE YANKEE is.

Many Kinds.
American invention has given birth
TO no end OF freaks, which havo bocn
embalmod at tho patent ofloo i'll order
that they may not perish. Some OF the
QuoaCst Of them arc devices for cntrap-
ping beasts, bugs, fishes and even humnn
bciugs.
What, for example, could be funnior
that tho notion of using initiation flow
ors with poisoned honey 10 attract nox-
ious insects? The artificial blossoms,
each containing Il small quantity of sug-
airy liquid properly prepared, are TO lc
fastened 70 twigS Months of dcstruct-
i've species sip the deadly nectar and
dic. \ moro elaborate dcvicp Cd SINH
lar description is intended for tho pro-
lection Of apple trees. 1t il tin can Gov
cred rs to its 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 rocop-
tacle is small quantity of cider. The
can is TO be hung on a branch of nh ap-
pie tree at night. Insects, attracted by
the pictured flowers, light upon tho can
The smell of the cider induces them to
enter through holes provided for that
purpose They then drop down into the
cider and are drowned.
Yet it is not always easy 10 distin-
guish between u crank idea and a use
full discovery. Tho poisoned counterfeits
of flowers above described are said to
work very well. Many years ago a man
got a patent for method of killing
bugs OH trees by inclosing the whole
tree in n sort of balloon of canvas, into
which Oh asphyxiating gas was to be
poured for the purpose of sCffOcating
the insects. Everybody thought he was
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 California.
Several kinds of luminous bats for fish
have been patented One of these is
minnow of hollow glass coated op the
inside partly with solution of gold or
silver, and partly with luminous paint
The result is n vCry brilliant object in
tho water, calculated to attract any pre-
daciouS creature with fins Another in
tcrcsting contrivarsoe is for making frog
bait moro seductive, The jerking of the
line equipped with this device CAUSES
the frogs logs To mpvo nS if he were
swimming
Contrivancss for catching GasctS are
more NUMEROUS than any others. Ono of
them is "a furnace for Strengthening po-
tato bugs To begin with. deep AMI
wide furrow is to be plowoIl all around
an infested field Through ttlis trench
u smooth log is dragged to make the
surface hard and smooth. Tho bugs III
migrating tO other grounds are unable
TO scale the trench, and the furnace,
which Is cylinder of iron filled with
fuel, is drawn along the furrow and
destroys them Other odd devices are
cartridges intended TO DO inserted in the
mouths of ant holes and to be fired,
thus communicating sitting vapors To
the subterrancan chambers, also many
kinds of lamps for attracting and burn
ing UP the moths of various worms in
cotton fields There is o toy pistol for
insects, which sucks them in when he
trigger is pulled
AN ingenious wcstcr1fcr has invented
n trap for catching tho horIhy which
Is such an enemy to cattle i'll SOHO parts
of the country. 1t consists most impor-
family of great frame to Which brush
is attached III such IL manner that when
the beasts walk through. eager as they
always are TO scratch themselves, the
flies will 10 scrnpcd from their bodies
by the branches Finally the frame is
closed up by means of deors. and the
captured insects are destroyed Nearly
everybody has heard of tho gold tape
worm trnl. which the patient swallows
Bcdhug traps are OF several varieties,
All of them being intended to afford ut
tractivc hiding places for these blood
suckers and to bo buI7sN Cn' aa,l(lsl out
aftcrward
Much ingenuity hns been expended
i'll r;lttrap& Some OF them alp so elab-
oratc that no full wittcd rodent would
go near them Ono requires Mr.. Rat to
come in through door, which drops
behind and makes him prisoner. Sec
ing 4 bright light above, he ;npcntls n
flight of little steps and trMs acrus IL
small plank that is 80 nicely adjusted Ks
to balance that his Weight c,ruSs, it 10
| tip and throw him into tank Of
| water. Another contrivanoo consists OF
| Il double chamber. One chamber has a
| glass end through which Mr.. Rat s.ss
two or thrp imitation rats having a
nice time with bit of cheese Wish
ing 10 join them, he rulEs around the
box, gets into the other chamber and
is caught
| There are a number OF devices which
employ mirrors for tho purpose of lur-
ing the rat to his fate. He mounts OIL
top OF % barrel and scce toothsomc