The Washington herald., 1909-07-04

the determination Of these rodents, and
he says that trapping. II vigilanty pur.
getting rid OF them. The Improved mod
ern traps with a wire fall released by a
buitcd trigger and driven by coiled
spring are better than any OF the old
forms OF traps. especially when made of
metal for they are then less likely 10
absorb and retain Odors or germs As
bait TO be used he finds bacon, sausage,
oatmeal, roasted cheese. and suniOwer or
pumpkin seeds TO be the best and as
these pests are very suspicious II II ad-
visable to handle both baits and traps as
little as possible.
No one method Is adequate, however,
and only by concerted. systematic and
persistent effort A. lt possible TO reduce
and keep down their numbers. The con-
structon Of rat proof buildings h the
solution for the future and as the use of
cement Increases the rat problem de-
creases, for they cannot penetrate this
material when used In doors, walls,
drains, harms, etc
Sir James Critchon-Browne states that
the expenditure for rat poison I'm the
United Kingdom amounts TO million
and a half dollars annually, but as polls
Onlug Is a method nearly always unsatls-
factory. and at times unpleasant and un-
hygienic this wny Of destroying them Is
not recommended by Uncle SANS ex-
perts German hacterolORist, Prof A..
Neuman, I'm his effort 10 discover a meth
od for their extermiuatiou, Is experiment.
Ing rats with a highly contagious dis
ease. Cultures OF microbes are mixed
with bread and grain. which when eaten
by the rodents causes disease similar
10 typhus fever, in very malignant
form. They die In three days after con-
tracing IT, and the epidemic spreads
among them very rapidly. This disease
seems only TO AFFECT rodents, for live
stock. and even human beings were not
effected when innOculated with II. Such
an impression has Prof Neuman made
among scientists In Europe that SOME OF
them have had bin passed In Denmark
apprOpriatng S6,TJO year for further
experimenting along this line.
n ONsUL snodgrass OF Kobe reports that
- since DR. Koch advised the Keeping a.
eats as the best means OF destroying rats
and preventing the plague the Japanese
authorities have been active In investigat-
ing the number Of cats maintained and
their relative value The results OF In
vestigations by the police shows that
there are "a. 2S0 cats I'm Osaka. "A city OF
100000 people. the families In which
eats are kept numbering 4S.222. In adj
ditiOn there are 5,O36 homeless cats.
Not only Is the rat being fought but
an active campaign Is being carried on
against mice, aud especially held mice
which are such menace TO the farmer
In Nevada the agricultural sections are
being Overrun by them and every year
they destroy 100000 worth OF alfalfa
Secretary Wilson told the writer that In
Humboldt county last year the mice de-
stroyed 1900 acres out Of total OF 90,
600 acres OF the forage crop. that the
helds had TO be replOwed and replanted
In this same section only one-third OF
the potato crop was gathered and this
portion was badly damaged. Orchards
aud shade trees were much injured by
the mice glrdling the bark from the roots
and base Of the trunks. The Department.
OF Agriculture sent experts out 70 Ne
vada for the purpose OF showing the
ranchmen how fO DESTROY the mice. They
used sulphate Of strychnine on chopped
green alfalfa OF alfalfa hay. Even on
ranches where the held mice reached
the astonishing total OF twenty thousand
TO an acre they were exterminated at an
average cost Of seventy cents an acre.
The combined efforts of the farmers Of
the valley were ultimately 80 successful
that they killed forty-hve thousand mice
day for several weeks In succession
and the hawks owls. and other birds and
animals, which are appointed by nature
to do that work, were able To take care
OF the remainder and prevent further
damage.
our western states are also waging war
- against the prairie dog, which Is caus-
ing such great damage, for In the state or
Texas alone they eat as much grass every
year as would feed a million and a half
OF cattle. There are estimated to be
400. OOO.OO0 prairie dogs in Texas an av-
erage OF twenty-five 70 the acre. and 2GO
dogs will eat as much grass as steer.
Besides this the value Of the land Is very
much injured by the dogs, because they
dig up the roots OF the grass and destroy
Il. leaving the ground perfectly bare
around their holes. When they have
cleaned out all the vegetation In one
neighborhood they migrate TO another
one and continue their work OF dcstruc-
tion untn entire townships 0f land have
been made barren by their ravages.
Texas, Kansas Colorado, ana other west