Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-24

Washington, ID. c., Sept. 2s.--It has
recently been demonstrated in two
quarters that the government of the
United States IN 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 ne can
do to prevent it. The facts about the
damage done by rats and mice, and
the rate at which they increase, as as
certained by the learned professors
OF the Biological Survey. have been
published before. but it is necessary
here TO state them again so that YOU
viii be sure to appreciate the impos-
tsnce of this subject.
BE il known then that rats and mice
in this country every year destroy
property valued at s2oo.oo0,ooo and
that an army OF 100000 men may be
lconsidered as employed solely in sup
porting these little household and
garden pests. The common brown rat
breeds six to ten times year and a
pair of rats in three years would hay
1853, 1o9, ,4S2 descendants II all the chm
siren lived .and did well. The wonder
Is that there is room on earth for any
shing except rats.
The government recently found that
several parts of it's premises in and
about Washington were rapidly ap-
preaching a condition in which the
rats were the main things and the
governmental 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 a great deal more of the
expensive food doled out than dis
all the~other inmates. Visitors in the
zoo could see rats at any time, and
III the evening they could observe
them extensively. 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 al
&c the visitors and if a rock was
thrown at them they registered re-
sentiment rather than fright.
Zoos Homes for Rats.
All ZOOS are wont to be rat-infested
and II should be said that the Wash.
ington zoo was not as bad as mos
of them. but 1t was bad enough. Ths
trouble with killing rats in a zoo Il
that II poison is used. other animals
are sure to eat it, while with trap
there is more or less danger TO them
In the Washington zoo the trouble i
increased by the fact that squirrels
rabbits. guinea fowls and turkeys
roam the grounds at large.
The zoo officials therefore let tn
rats more or less alone, but after
while the zoo became inadequate 70
their support and they began invad
ing the residence which fringe il oi
all sides. The residents raised a how
of protest. They demanded that tn
government either keep its rats a
home or kill them. The Biologica
Survey, which has a corps of scien
tifc exDs-ts in the determination O
ali kinds of predatory animals, wa
called into consultation and ma
detailed tp the zoo problem. He solve
II by the use of spring traps. TIL
roo rat colony. il is learned, has bee
expected that it win be abolished.
greatly reduced and it is confidentl
The destruction OF rats and mice O
. large scale lis problem for experts
The Biological Survey is willing I
give advice on the subject and thos
who are losing money through tn
work of rats should consult 1t. Trap
must be used in some places an
poison in others. while in yet other
rat-proofing is the only effective mea
sure. All of these things must
done right to be effective. DIR. Fowle
the Public Health officer of Wash
y ington has issued a special warnin
against the careless use of poisol
Children and domestic animals are er
dangered by 1t unless il is used wit
the utmost skill and care.
After cleaning up the zoo, the Go,
eminent ratters turned their after
ton 10 the St. Elizabeth Hospital fl
the Insane, which swarmed with ra
even more than did the zoo. Neritab
herds of them could be seen on II
grounds in broad daylight. 1t is sa
that in this place, too, good progre.
y being made in the work of EXTERN
nation.
Rats Killed Trees.
The Governments most distressir
rat problem, however. is now beir
met on the experimental farm ;
Arlington, Virginia. This rich tra
of land. which was formerly the esta
of General Robert E. Lee, is now use
by the Department of Agriculture f,
Experimental work. 1t was recent