The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-07-07


foots UP into tremendous figures annual
y, and there is no need in the world
much greater than the discovery and
universal application of an effectual and
speedy method for Kidding us of these
property destroying and disease propagat
ing plaques. According to the experts OF
the Bureau of Biological Survey, of the
Department of Agriculture, Uncle Sam
has to pay S13OOOotUC annually for the
losses to farm products Inc To injurious
mammals. This is a pretty big board
bill.
The omniverous and eternallv hungry rat
is the most expensive pest in the national
bill, and every rat in the United States
day for it's keep. And if to this we add
the cost OF maintaining quarantine oper-
ations against it and of fighting the dis
ease spread by it, 1t brings the cost up
to from seven to ten cents day. And
considering the fact that these rodents
breed three four times yearly, with
dozen little ones Mt time and the fe-
male begins breeding at tnrre morths.
1t looks as If the future mearce of these
pests constitutes a very grave problem,
especially to the farmer, COR from the
time he sows his grain ne is pursued by
them. They begin by eating the seed in
the ground. just as appetizer; as soon
as the green stalks begin to appear they
are ready for a green sala |, and from
then they go on and eat the gram in me
ear and in the shock: in the stack. the
NOW. and the crib; they fellow it to the
granary, the MILL the elevator. and the
railway car. aud descend into the holds
of grain carrying vessels Mr. Rat even
steals it from under the bills ana noses
of the poultry and live stock in the feed
trough: and while visiting here he adds
few hens eggs. Young poultry or pig
to his bill of fare He also eats enor-
nous quantities of vegetables and fruits,
and for the more substantial dishes like
meats he has most voracious appetite
when he raids the markets, butcher shops
and kitchens
IT HE farmer is not alone in his loss from
these rodents for the CITY dweler has
to Pay goodly sum annually for their
lodging. Secretary Wilson, of the De-
partment of Agriculture, has been en-
deavoring to ascertain approximately the
damage done to property by Mr.. Rat IN
the cities of Washington and Baltimore.
In the city he DESTROYS more than IS crdi-
nariy imagined. He attacks foundations
and walls floods houses ny nihhling
through the lead pipes. burns buildings
by cutting with his sharp teeth electric
light wire installations and eating matches.
and he destroys untold quantities OF
books and clothing From data procured
Secretary Wilson estimates that tho loss
from rats in Washington is about Sf'h-
eco wear. and in Baltimore upwards of
STO0.0W. In the former City on large
store lost by these pests from twenty 10
iDlTIN uDll;tIS IL HlSul sihhil NH@e'7iH VI
traps was devised 10y one OF the nlimer-
Gus fraternity of rat catchers. and enc
hundred and forty We're caught In the
first twenty nights, after which the
losses virtually ceased.
Assuming as is probable. that similar
conditions obtain in all large cities of
over 100 $50 inhabitants, the damage by
rats in these centers of population en-
tails a direct loss of 500 100000 annually.
at, dad Ynito a c
~ much as we are and John Bull pays
annually a board bill for this rodent OF
-O.N0,oO0 according to recent report
of the Society for the Destruction OF
Nermin, which is union of scientific or
ganiZations working together for the eX-
termination of rats. Its president. SIT
James Critchon- Browne, arrives at the
annual cost to Great Britain by allowing
only one rat per cultivated acre. and as
sumng that each one does damage to the
extent of one farthing per acre, this
works out on 40,Oo0,OOO acres of land at
the figure mentioned. There is an island
In the river Humber, in England. which
was once covered with rich grass. sup
round more than three thousand head OF
cattle, the people who cared for the
stock, and the owners who lived by II
But one day about fifteen years ago
rats swan the half mile of water whicf
separates 1t from the shore, and nov
there is not enough verdure on the islant
to keep rabbit. and the ground has beer
so furrowed by these pests that it canno
be reclaimed by cultivation.
In the Azores. West Indies and CAPE
Verde Islands the rat which has ap
peared in recent years, is annually DE
stroying hundreds of thousands of dol
lars worth of banana. orange. and COFFEE
plantations
M ODERN science has declared world
1vL wide war on these rodents. calm
them an international peril not only 10
their destructivenpsS. but owing 10 the fac
that they are one of the livelest am
most indefatigAble germ carriers, pollut