Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-05-16
Perspective RatProof
of
prepared by the United States De
af

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of AgricultureD
Among domestic animals employed
to kill rats are the dog, the cat and
the ferret.
Dogs.-The value of dogs as rat
ters cannot be appreciated by persons
who have had no experience with
trained animal. The ordinary cur and
the larger breeds of dogs seldom de-
velop the necessary qualities for rat
ters. Small Irish, Scotch and fox ter
riers, when properly trained, are su-
perior to other breeds and under fa
verable circumstances may be relied
upon to keep the farm premises rea-
sonably free from rats.
Cats.-However valuable cats may
be as mOusers, few learn to catch
rats. The ordinary house cat is too
well fed and consequently too lazy to
undertake the capture of an animal
as formidable as the brown rat. Birds
and mice are much more to its lik-
ing. Cats that are fearless of rats,
however, and have learned to hunt and
destroy them are often very useful
about stables and warehouses. They
should be lightly fed, chiefly on milk.
A little sulphur in the milk at inter
walls is a corrective against the bad
effects of constant rat or mouse diet.
Cats often die from eating these ro-
dents.
Ferrets.-Tame ferrets, like weasels,
are the inveterate foes of rats, and
can follow the rodents into their re-
treats. Under favorable circumstances
they are useful aids to the rat catch
err but their value is greatly overesti-
mated For effective work they re-
quire experienced handling and the ad-
ditional service of a dog or two. Dogs
and ferrets must be thoroughly accus-
tened to each other, and the former
must be quiet and steady instead of
noisy and eXcitable. The ferret is
used to bolt the rats, which are killed
by the dogs. If unmuZZled ferrets
are sent into rat retreats, they are
apt to make a kill and then lie up
after sucking the blood of their vic
tim Sometimes they remain for hours
in the burrows or escape by other ex-
its and are lost. There is danger that
these lost ferrets may adapt them
selves to wild conditions and become a
pest preying upon poultry and birds
Fumigation.
Rats may be destroyed in their bur-
rows in the fields and along river
banks, levees, and dikes by carbon BIZ
sulphid. A wad of cotton or other
absorbent material is saturated with
the liquid and then pushed into the
burrow, the opening being packed
with earth to prevent the escape OF
the gas. All animals in the burroU
are asphyxiated. Fumigation in build
| ings is not so satisfactory, because il
| is difficult to confine the gases.
Chlorin, carbon mOnoXid, sulphur di
| oxid, and hydrocyanic acid are thu
gases most used for destroying rat:
and mice in sheds, warehouses ant
stores. Each is effective if the ga
can be confined and made to reacl
the retreats of the animals. OWNS
to the great danger from fire inciden
to burning charcoal or sulphur in opel
pans, a special furnace provided will
means for forcing the gas into th'
compartments of vessels or building
is generally employed.
Hydrocyanic-acid gas is effective il
destroying all animal life in buildings
1t has been successfully used to fire.
| nf Jsaf &c 111in
and insects. However, it is so danger
ous to human life that the movie
should not attempt fumigation with il
except under careful instructions. Di
rections for preparing and using tn
gas may be found in Farmers Bulletil
No. 800.
Carbon monoxid is rather danger
Gus, as it's presence in the hold of
vessel or other compartment is no
manifest to the senses, and fatal az
ridents have occurred during its en-
ployment to fumigate vessels.
Chlorin gas has strong bleachin
action upon textile fabrics, and 70
this reason cannot be used in man
situations.
SULPHUR dioxid also has a bleachin
effect upon textiles, but less marke
than that of chlorin, and ordinaril
it is not noticeable with the small pc
centage of gas it is necessary to us'
On the whole, this gas has many az
vantages as a fumigator and dish
fectant. 1t is used also as a fire e.
tinguisher on board vessels. Specis
furnaces for generating the gas an
forcing it into the compartments {
ships and buildings are on the ma
ket, and many steamships and docE
are now fitted with the necessar
apparatus.
Rat Viruses.
. Several heterogeneous, or bacteri
found originally in diseased rats I
mice, have been exploited for destro
ing rats. A number of these so-calle
; rat viruses are on the American ma
ket. The biological survey, the burea
of animal industry and the Unite
States public health service have mac
careful Investigations and practic
, tests of these viruses, mostly with ne
ative results. The cultures tested
, the biological survey have not prove
, satisfactory.
The chief defects to be overcome b
fore the cultures can be recommend'
a for general use are:
n 1. The virulence is not great enout
, to kill sufficiently high percentage
rats that eat food containing the IL
cro-organisms.
2. The virulence decreases with t