Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-10

one Huy nave as many as nVo utters In
year. A litter consists Of about ten. "a
female ut the age Of two and a half to
three months is capable of producing
litter. The young are very efficiently
tended. SO that scarcely any die.
Reproduction ceases during cold
weather, and rats can not reproduce them
selves at all in cold climates. In temper
ate climates reproduction is at a stand
still during the Winter. The most i'm
portant factor limiting reproduction is,
however, the supply of nutriment. A TO-
male receiving only sufficient food to keep
her in good condition does not reproduce
at all. whereas with superabundance of
food reproduction proceeds at its maxi
mum rate"
Professor Chavigny suggests to French.
men various methods OF combating rats.
In view Of these facts one is more easily
able to understand why mans battle with
the rat has been SO little successful up to
now. The animal has until recently got
the better of us very decidedly But In
this warfare science has at last taken the
field, and we are beginning for the first
time to know how we can defeat the TO.
dent enemy.
Nothing could be more simple. I'm tho
main, it Is merely question OF cutting of
the rats food supply. The tightly covered
garbage can has been ordered by great
numbers Of Parisians. Remnants of food
IN households must not be left nbout,. As
some wise person has said, HE who sows
food scraps will reap rat harvest"
Any dwelling house or other building
can be made ratproof at small expense by
concreting the basement and area wills
and screening or otherwise stopping every
hole through which a rat might enter. The
animals are thus deprived of harborase.
Even though there be rats on the premises.
the household supplies may always be kent
safe from them IN ratproof containers
covered with wire net
Don't offer them food; don't furnish them
with hiding places, says the professor IL
hungry they will eat poisoned bait OF NAV he
trapped: but In either case the bait should
be high-flavored (such as toasted cheese
or bits OF fried bacon), and should be of
kind different from any proyender thew
can OBTAIN IN the neighborhood. The best
traps are OF the ''guillotine" pattern. with
wire fall released by baited trigger
The ratproofing OF city Is hardly more
IMAM an extension Of the method adopted
for the protection of house. II neces.
sarily embraces the treatment OF sewers.
which AFFORD admirable runways for the
rodent pests, with supplies of waste TO
furnish provender. The sewers of Paris
have always been famous for their hordes
OF rats, which in the days OF the siege of
that city by the Germans. In 1871, proved
actually useful, furnishing the poor with
meat supply.
All the trouble in Paris and In other
parts of the world Is due to one specIea
OF rat--the big brown rat. 1t is not an
aboriginal native OF either Europe or
America. 1t came originally from Asia
and did not appear in Europe until the
seventeenth century and In America until
about the time OF the Revolution. An
other species OF rats are comparatively
mild and harmless and give way before
the brown rat.
1t is estimated that the rats now afa,ct.
Ing Paris are eating up food sufficient To
maintain 100000 people annually n ,est
unchecked. the rats would certainly drive
man off the face OF the earth.