The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-08

rats and weayils has been trifling; of no
significxnce?
how much loss these two pests have caus-
81 them of course rats do a vast amount
81 damage in other ways than depre1Stmg
upon stored grain. They do immense dam
age TO the merchant. to the housewife, to
the poultry keeper The sum total of dam
age runs way up into the millions how
many il would be difficult TO approximate
by even hundred millions of dollars. The
loss is so great 1t would well be worth a
states interest to offer a bounty for their
destruction 1t IS strange how careless and
needless of this destruction occurring con-
stantly so many farmers appear TO be.
You can see these pests running In and
out of nearly every farmers barn, OF near
" every grocery store you may enter.
You ask why do you allow these pests TO
go on uneheeked?' In all probability the
reply will be whats the use, they come
again and when l set a trap can catch
only or 8, and then they learn to keep
clear of the trap" So it is. Rats are the
mails known to natural history. They are
smart, they are esthetic actually. They
are fond of music, they soon learn that the
ordinary trap is source of danger of
death and come to avoid 1t as faithfully as
they would avoid cat
To rid barn or dwelling of rats it is
very unwise to resort to poison. 1t is dan
gerous and in every way undesirable. An
ordinary trap becomes imperative after
having caught a few rats.
Here is the very best plan of getting rid
of rats about your premises. Go to your
grocer and procure one or more tin cans,
such as lard is retailed from. While you
are a it make the job OF determination
prompt and complete, So procure a half
dozen cans. Take these home and fill about
half full with cotton seed hulls. Cotton
seed will do. Set these cans in various
places where the rodents most frequent.
On the hulls or seeds sprinkle little bran
or meal and chips of cheese and little lots
OF broied bacon. Keep up the bait for
several days until every rat about has
found the place to get nice lunch and
with only feelings of security. Then some
day about nighttall empty the contents of
the cans fill them about half full of wa
ter, over which sprinkle enough of the
hulls or seeds to perfectly conceal the wa
ter Renew the bait of meal, cheese scraps,
etc, preserving the original appearance
of the contents as clearly as possible.
Have every can in perfect shape. Retire
until next morning. Then go with a basket
or Wheel-barrow and gather up the de-
funct pests. BY good management 80 per
cent. or more of the rats that infest the
in one night. Clean % the cans and
catch the remainder, If there be any re-
mainder after the first catch,
1t is well worth the trouble to rid
place entirely of these destructive pests
is it not? 1t is the duty of every farmer
to do this very thing. Then provide at
least one cat "a lady cat is the better) that
is not oVerfed
1t will not be difficult then to keep
place quite free from rats
For destroying weaVilS in grain the sim
plest and surest plan is TO close the grana-
ry room as close as possible, procure a
pint or more of bi-sulphide OF carbon and
expose the same in shallow vessels on top
of the grain The fumes will sink down.
ward and stifle every weaVil in a short
while. This substance is combuStlble ana
dangerous and must be handled with care.
| Be very careful not to inhale the fumes.
These two pests are very easily controls
ed if one is willing to go about it rightly.