Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-09-26
The HaSki,1 Letter . ne1 2ss2n
THE GOVERNMENT FIGHTS RATS

who are losing money through the work
of rats should consult it. Traps must
be used In some place and poison in
others, while in vet others rat-proof-
ing is the only effective measure. All
Of these things must be done right to
be effective. DR.. Fowler, the public
health officer of Washington, has is
.led special warning against the
careless use Of poison. Children and
domestic animals are endangered by it
unless it is-used with the utmost skill
and care.
After cleaning up the zoo, the govern
ment ratters turned their attention to
the st. Elizabeth Hospital for the In
more than did the zoo. Veritable
Lends OF them could be seen on the
grounds in broad daylight. It is said
lhat ia this place, too, good prog
ress is being made in the work of ex-
termination.
Rats Killed Trees.
The governments most distressing
rat problem, however, is now being met
on the experimental farm at Arlington,
Virginia. This rich tract of land.
which was formerly the estate of
General Robert e. Lee, is now used by
Tue department VI AkIASuAtubC AoL "a
perrin rental work. It was recently dis
covered that 40 fruit trees on the farm
we're dying as the result Of damage
done to their roots by mice and rats
working underground, while it was
probable that a great many other trees
had been weakened in the same way.
And these were no ordinary orchard
,rees. Each Of them had some special
Experimental significance, and each Of
them represented 20 years of care. 1t
viii take another 20 years to replace
them.
Professor Silver, the most eminent
Of the Biological Survey rodent killers,
rras assigned to this important case.
He found that it was an appalling ex
ample of the variety and versatility OF
the mouse and rat family. For one
kind of rat and three kinds OF mice
we're at work in this valuable orchard.
The mice were short-talled mice, pine
mice and meadow mice. Some OF them
worked underground and some on tne
surface. Some Of them worked nights
and some during the day.
Poison did not at first tempt these
animals because they enJoyd the tenoer
roots of the fruit trees more fnan any
bait which was offered. and also pc
animals Will not SuCceeu ~ sn"n
poison off the bait. Professor SILVER,
none the less, ultimately succeeded IN
poisoning good many of them by piac-
ing the most tempting bats in glass
cases which the mice could enter, but
which protected the bait from the wea-
Their. He also caught many OF the ami
mails by the use of small steel traps.
The third measure employed was that
of warning all Of the surrounding farm
ers not to kill hawks or owls. as these
birds are the greatest natural enemies
of all kinds of mice and rates.
AS a result Of all these measures the
mouse and rat population OF the ex-
detrimental farm has been greatly re-
duced. and it seems certain that the
ANIMALS will no succeed in thwartlng
some lines Of government work there,
as they seemed about to do. The
work is perhaps most important as
demonstration Of what can be done;
Doubtless many farmer has despaired
81 his orchard because of the rodents.
He should take heart. By persis-
tence and the use of right methods,
rats and mice can be exterminated ev-
erywhere, from the city cellar to the
farthest outlying farm.