Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-23
THE GOVERNMENT FIGHTING
RATS
BY Frederic J. Haskin.


WASHINGTON, Sept. 23.-It has recently
been demonstrated in two quarters that the gov
eminent Of the United States is more than a
match for rats and mice.
speaking, the rats and mice have the run of the
earth and live on the bounty of man despite all
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 1t Is necessary mere
to state them again 80 that you Will be sure
to appreciate the Importance OF this subject.
Be it known then that rats and mice in this
country every year destroy property valued at
5000, 900, 900 and that an army OF 100000 men
may be considered as employed solely in sup
porting 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
lived and did well. The wonder is that there Is
room en- earth for anything except rats. .,
parts of its premises in and about washington
we're RAPIDLY approaching a condition III which
tho rats were the main thing and the govern
mental activities incidental and somewhat un.
prosperous. 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 a great deal
more of the expensive food doled out than did
all the other inmates. Visitors in the zoo could
see rats at any time, and in the evening they
could observe them extensively. The rats 1rol-
licked about the walks in large family parties,
going from one enclosure TO another sampiins
tho different kinds of food. They paid no at
tention 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 1t
should b. said that the Washington zoo was net
as bad as most of them. hut it was bad enousH:
The trouble with killing rats in u zoo is thai II
poison is used, other animals are sure 10 eau ~
while with traps there is more or less danger 10
them. In the Washington zoo the trouble is IN
creased by the fact that squirrels, rabbits. guinea
fowls and turkeys roam the grounds at large
The zoo officials therefore let the rats more or
Ix -e+o- - ryhi1 the 1nn hnCA me n
adequate for their support ana tney peean IL
vading the residences which fringe IL on az
sides. The residents raised a now OF protesr,
They demanded that the government either keep
its rats at home or kill them. me BloloslcaI
Survey, which has a corps OF sclentinc experts
in the determination of all kinds OF predatory
animals. was called into consultation and a maa
was detailed to the zoo problem. He solved II
by the use of spring traps. The zoo rat coiohy.
n is learned. has been greatly reduced ana / 10
confidently expected that it will be abonsheu.
The destruction of rats and mice on d ialsI
scale is a problem for experts. Inc erbiect
Survey is willing to give advice on the supJecs
and those who are losing money through the
work of rats should consult it. Traps must pc
used In some places and poison In others. wmiie
in vet others rat-proofing is the only effectlve
measure. All of these things must be done rlgnt
to be effective. Dr.. Fowler, the pubic neaitn
oficer of Washington, has issued a speciai
warning against the careless use of poison. Chil-
dren and domestic animals are endangered py
II unless it is used with the utmost skill anu
care. ra+-
After cleaning up the zoo, the government RAJ
ters turned their attention to the st. hllzapeth
Hospital for the Insane, which swarmea WIZ
rats even more than did the zoo. Verltapie
herds of them could be seen on the erounos a.
broad daylight. 1t is said that in this place, too'
good progress is being mace IN the "oih
Rats Killed Trees.
The governments most distressing RAJ piU ~;
lem, however, is now being met on the eApelj,
mental farm at Arlington, Virginia, inis ~
tract of land, which was formerly tne estase
of General Robert E.. Lee, is now useo py tn1
Department of Agriculture for experiments
work. 1t was recently discovered tnat loity
fruit trees on the farm were dying as tne 5e nats
~ damage done to their roots by mice ana Idta
working underground, while it was propaple tha.
n great many other trees had been Weakeneu IN
the same way. And THESE were bad no some specia1
experimental significance, and each of them rep
resented twenty years OF care. II Will 'aAe "N
| other twenty years to replace them.
Professor Silver, the most eminent of the Bio
logical Survey rodent killers, was assigned 10 ms
important case. He found that 1t was an appa aho
ing example of the variety and versatlnty OF tue
! mouse and rat family. For one KIND OF rat anu
three kinds of mice were at work IN inns Vanu-
pine mice and meadow mice. Some OIL tneni
worked underground and some on the surIace.
Some of them worked at night ana some ouiine
the day. hoo ,,inoaIs
because they enjoyed the tender roots Oh tne
fruit trees more than any bait winch was oI i ID
ed and also because the rain and dew Wdsneu
tbe noison off the bait. Professor Silver, none
the less, ultimately Succeeded in poisoning d
good many of them by placing the moss mp na
ING bats in glass cases which the mice could
enter. but which protected the bait from the
weather. He also caught many of the animals
by the use of small steel traps. Inc tnlrd meas
ny, ny emnloved was that of warning all of the
Surrounding farmers not to kill hawks or, Owls,
"a these birds are the greatest natural enemies
of all kinds of mice and rats.
As a result of all these measures the mouse
and rat population of the experimental farm
has been greatly reduced, and 1t seems certain
that the animals will not succeed in thwarting
i some lines of government work there, as they
seemed about to do. The work is perhaps most
imnortant as a demonstration of what can be
done Doubtless many a farmer has despaired OF
his orchard because of these rodents. He should
take heart. BY persistence and the use or rlgh.
methods. rats and mice can be extermlnated
e~yerywhere, from the city cellar to the fartnes'
outlying farm.