The Washington herald., 1909-07-04
The Worlds Tribute to Pests
By Nj. Hamilton Talbot.

foots up into tremendous figures annual.
~ and there Is no need In the world
much greater than the discovery and
universal application OF an efectual and
speedy method for Kidding us OF these
property destroying and lise0 se-prOpagat-
ing plaques. According TO the experts OF
the Bureau OF biological survey ~ the
Department OF Agriculture, Uncle sam
has 10 pay St3O.O00Ofo annually for the
losses to farm products lnc rn injur'ons
mammals. This Is pretty big board
hill
The omniverous and eternally hungry rat
is the most expensive pest In the national
bin, and every rat in the United states
costs the citizens at least two cents a
day for its keep. And II 60 this we add
the cost OF maintaining quarantine Oper-
ations against it and OF fighting the dis
ease spread by Il, Il brings the cost up
to from seven TO ten cents day. And
considering the fact that these rodents
breed three or four times yearly, with
dozen little ones "a a time. and the re-
lacle begins breeding at tnr'e MOI rms,
Il looks as II the future men9,e OF these
pests constitutes very grave problem,
especially 60 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 an appetizer; as soon
as the green stalks begin to appear they
are ready for green sala !, and from
then they go ON and eat the gram In the
car and in the shock IN the stack. The
NOW. and the crib: they follow Il TO the
granary, the mill, the elevator. and the
railway car, aud descend into the holds
Of grain carrying vessels Mr.. Rat even
steals II from under the biiis aud noses
OF the poultry and live stock IN the feed
trough and while visiting here he ADDS
n few hens eggs. Young ponitry or pig
10 his bin OF fare. He also eau enor-
nous quantities OF vegetables and fruits,
and for the more substantial dishes Ike
meats he has most vOracious appetite
when he raids the markets, butcher shops
and kitchens
III HE farmer Is not alone In his loss from
these rodents for the city dweler has
TO pay a goOdly sum annually for their
lodging. Secretary Wilson, Of the De
partment OF Agriculture, has been en-
deavoring to ascertain approSimatcIy tae
damage done to property by Mr.. Rat In
the cities Of Washington and Baltimore
In the city he destroys more than IS crdi-
narily imagined. He attacks foundations
and walls. floods houses by nihbling
through the lead pipes burns buildings
by cutting with his sharp teeth electric
light wire msulations and eating leaicbes.
and he destroys untold quantities or
books and clothing From data procured
Secretary Wilson estimates that the loss
from rats I'm Washington Is about Sfo.-
COO a year, and I'm Baltimore upwards or
100000. In the former city one iarge
thirty dollars a night intil system or
traps was devised Ov one ot the nlimer-
Gus fraternity OF rat catehers; and one one
hundred and forty were caught In the
arst twenty nights. after which the
losses virtually ceased.
Assuming, as is probable, that similar
conditions obtain IN all large cities or
over 10000 inhabitants, the damage by
rats I'm these centers OF population en-
tails a direct loss Of S20.OOOOOO annually.
~ THEIR countries are troubled quite as
~ much a. we are and John Bull pays
annually a board bill for this rodent OF
10000. 900 according TO recent report
Of the Society for the Destruction OF
Vermin. which Is a union OF scientific or
ganizations working together for the ex-
termination OF rats. It's president. Sir
James CritchoQ- Browne, arrives at the
annual cost to Great Britain by allowing
only one rat per cultivated acre. and as
surning that each one does damage 10 the
extent of one farthing per acre, this
works out on 4OOOO.O 600 acres OF land at
the dgure mentioned. There "a an Island
I'm the river Humber. In England, which
was once covered with rich grass. sup
porting In good condition all the year
round more than three thousand head OF
cattle, the people who cared for the
stock and the owners who lived by H.
But one day, about fifteen years ago.
rats swan the half mile Of water which
separates It from the shore, and now
there IL not enough verdure on the Island
20 keen a rabbit and the ground has been
so furrowed by these pests that II cannot
be reclaimed by cultivation.
In the Azores. West Indies and cape
Verde Islands the rat, which has APP
peared in recent years, Is annually ue
stroying hundreds Of thousands or dol
lars worth Of banana. orange, and eonee
plantations.
NJ oDERN science has declared a world
INA wide war on these rodents, calling
them an international peril, not only Tor
their destructiveness but owing 10 the fact
that they are one OF the hveliest ana