The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-24
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN, Director,
Washington, D. c.
THE GOVERNMENT FIGHTS RATS.

recently been demonstrated in two
quarters that the government of the
UNITED States is more than a match for
rats and mice.
This is no slight compliment. Cen
orally speaking, the rats and mice
have the run of the earth and live on
the bounty of man despite all he can
do to prevent it. The facts about the
| damage done by rats and mice, and
the rate at which they increase, as
ascertained by the learned professors
of the Biological survey, have been
published before, but it is necessary
here to state them again so that you
Will be sure to appreciate the impor-
lance of this subject.
| Be it known then that rats and
mice in this country every year de-
stroy property valued at 100000, 900,
and that an army of 200, 600 men may
be considered as employed solely in
supporting these little household and
garden pests. The common brown
rat breeds six to ten times a year, and
a pair of rats in three years would
have $50, 709,4S2 descendants if all
the children lived and did we'll. The
wonder is that there is room on earth
for anything except rats
| The government recently found that
several parts of its premises in and
about Washington were rapidly APP
\
rats were the main thing. and the gov
ernmental activities incidental and
somewhat unprosperous. The most
conspicuous of these places was the
National zoo. There were a great
many more rats in the zoo than all
other animals combined, and the rats
probably ate great deal more of the
expensive food doled out than did all
7 the other inmates. Visitors in the zoo
could see rats at any time. and in the
I n TVNrr r. i
tensively. The rats frolicked about
the walks in large family parties,
going from one enclosure to another
sampling the different kinds of food.
They paid no attention at all to the
visitors, and if a rock was thrown
at them they registered resentment
rather than fright.
Zoos Homes for Rats.
All ZOOS are wont to be rat-infested,
and it should be said that the Wash
ington zoo was not as bad as most of
them, but it was bad enough The
trouble with killing rats in a zoo is
that if poison is used, others animals
are sure to eat it, while with traps
there is more or less danger to them.
In the Washington zoo the trouble is
increased by the fact that squirrels
the grounds at large.
The zoo officials therefore let the
rats more or less alone, but after
while the zoo became inadequate for
their support and they began invad-
ing the residences which fringe it on
all sides. The residents raised howl
of protest. They demanded that the
government either keep it's rats at
home or kill them. The biological
survey, which has a corps of scientific
experts in the determination of all
kinds of predatory animals, was called
detailed to the zoo problem. He
solved it by the use of spring traps
The zoo rat colony, it is learned, has
been greatly reduced and it is con-
fidently expected that it will be
abolished.
The destruction of rats and mice on
a large scale is problem for experts
The biological survey is willing to give
advice on the subject and those who
are losing money thru the work OF
rats should consult it. Traps must be
used in some places and poison IN
others, while in yet others prat-proof-
ing is the only effective measure. All
of these things must be done right "a
be effective. Doctor Fowler, the pus~
lie health officer of Washington, has
issued a 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 gov
eminent ratters turned their attention
to the St. Elizabeth Hospital for the
Insane, which swarmed win rats even
more than did the zoo. Veritable
herds of them could be seen on the
grounds in broad daylight. 1t is said
that in this place, too, good progress
is being made in the work of exterm-
nation.
Rats Killed Trees.
The governments most distressing
rat problem, however, is now being
met on the experimental farm at Ar
Hngton, Va. This rich tract OF land,
which was formerly the estate of Gen.
Robert e. Lee, is now used by the de-
partment of agriculture for expert
mental work. 1t was recently discov-
cred that 40 fruit trees on the farm
were 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
trees. Each of them had some spe-
cial experimental significance, ana
each of them represented 20 years OF
care. It will take another 20 years
to replace them.
Professor Silver, the most eminent
of the Biological Survey rodent
killers. was assigned to this i'm
DOTtanC case. he l1dL II was
an appalling example of the variety
and versatility of the mouse and rat
family. For one kind of rat and three
kinds of mice were at work in this
valuable orchard. The mice were
short-tail mice. pine mice ana
meadow mice. Some of them worked
underground and some on the sur
face. Some of them worked at night
and some during the day.
Poison did not at first tempt these
animals because they enjoyed the ten
der roots of the fruit trees more than
any bait which was offered. and also
because the rain and dew washed the
poison off the bait. Professor Silver,
none the less ultimately succeeded in
poisoning a good many of them by
placing the most tempting bats in
glass cases which the mice could en-
ter but which protected the bait from
the weather. He also caught many
of the animals by the use. of small
steel trans The third measure en-