The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1894-06-15
TRAPS AND SHARES.
cONTRIVANCES THAT SHOW WHAT
A GENIUS THE YANKEE is.

surdities, and Yet They Are UsefuI-De-
vices For Poisoning Pests-Rattraps of
Many Kinds.
American invention has given birth
TO no end of freaks, which have been
embalmed at the patent Office in order
that they may not perish. Some Of the
lueerest of them are devices for entrap-
ping beasts, bugs, fishes and even human
beings.
What, for example, could be funnier
chat the notion of using imitation flow
ers with poisoned honey to attract nox-
ious insects? The artificial blossoms,
each containing small quantity of sug
airy liquid properly prepared, are to be
fastened to twigs. Months of destruct-
i've species sip the deadly nectar and
die. A more elaborate device of SINH
lar description is intended for the pro-
lection of apple trees. 1t is tin can COW
cred as to its upper half with luminous
paint. On the outside of the lower half
apple blossoms are represented with the
same sort of paint. Inside Of the recep-
tacle is a small quantity of cider. The
can is to be hung on branch of an ap-
pie tree at night. Insects, attracted by
the pictured flowers, light upon the 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 to distin-
guish between a crank idea and a use
full discovery. The poisoned counterfeits
of flowers above described are said to
work very we'll. Many years ago a man
got a patent for a method of killing
bugs ON trees by inclosing the whole
tree in sort Of balloon of canvas, into
which an asphyXiating gas was to be
poured for the purpose of sUffocating
the insects. 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 California.
Several kinds of luminous bats for fish
have been patented. One of these is
minnow of hollow glass coated on the
inside partly with a solution of gold or
silver, and partly with luminous paint.
The result is a very brilliant object in
the water, calculated to attract any pre-
dacious creature with fins. Another in
Iteresting contrivance 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
swimming.
Contrivances for catching insects are
more numerous than any others. One Of
them is furnace for slaughtering po-
tato bugs. To begin with, a 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 cylinder of iron filled with
fuel, is drawn along the furrow and
destroys them. Other odd devices are
cartridges intended to be 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 burn
ing ND the moths of various worms in
cotton fields There is a toy pistol for
insects, which sucks them in when he
trigger is pulled.
An ingenious westerner has invented
a trap for catching the hornfly which
is such an enemy TO cattle in some parts
of the country. 1t consists most impor
family 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
everybody has heard of the gold tape
worm trap, which the patient swallows.
IBedbug traps are of several varieties,
all of them being intended to afford at
ltractive hiding places for these blood
suckers and to be burned or scalded out
afterward.
Much ingenuity has been expended
in rattrapS Some of them are SO elab-
crate that no full witted rodent would
go near them. One requires Mr.. Rat TO
come in through a door, which drops
behind and makes him prisoner. See
ing bright light above, he ascends a
flight of little steps and trots across a