Evening star., 1948-08-31
This and That
By Charles +. TrdceueH
BETHESDA, Md.

Dear sir:
what do you think Of rat eradication?
II followed some directions, put out the red
squiI, as instructed, and next day found rat.
HE wasn't dead.
"He was only half dead .,-
The poor thing writhed around moved d
little. I felt sorry for him, 1t seemed terrible,
to cause such suffering, even to a rat.
Hereafter, am going to use big trap that
kills them instantly, or at least Is supposed to
do, or am going to shoot them
Il have little 22-caliber rifle, q Hornet
and I am rather good at using 1t.
Il will put q bullet right between his eyes:
at least his death will be speedy.
Il would like to know how you feel about
this. Sincerely J. A. G.
Certainly any kind-hearted person must
stop and consider, when he finds a rat about
to die.
If the creature dies in agony, something of
1t must be transferred to the kind hearted
observer
The world is full of people. During the past
decade we have all come to the realization,
whether we wanted to or not, that not all OF
the people are kind.
Cruelty is q complex of some sort No one,
not even one who has studied such matters,
can put his finger exactly on the trouble and
its cure.
1t all goes back to our animal relationships
II we stop to consider the matter, We may
admit that the pure animals, in catching and
eating their prey, are not as cruel as some per-
sons seem inclined to think. Even the cat
playing with = mouse does not draw out the
torture as long as poison
Poisoning of unwanted vermin is q danger
GUS thing. 1t not only causes commissions, mis-
cry long extended, but offers danger to other
living things
Red squill has been offered ss superior to
a YNNfS CIV l.
kill only such rodents as do not possess the
vomit reflex Other creatures will throw the
material up, and though Ill, will not die as
result.
The rats are supposed to eat the souill, and
then begin to get such pains in their stomachs
that they seek water.
It is while looking for water, which will not
help their terrible thirst, that they die: for this
reason, 1t is necessary for the person who uses
this material to take up all the water outdoors
around his place.
II bird baths have been used, these should
be emptied the night the red squill is put out.
This causes the rats to 70 elsewhere to die
always helpful to the kind-hearted, for what
one does not see, alas, seldom bothers one.
Modern city living tends to build up q mercy
complex. There are thousands OF persons who
may be said to be too tender-hearted. This is
fact, as strange as 1t seems
In such world as this, manifestly not Der
HSSs' AZ ~ Sc0CAe1dA " uaFS certain amount OF
toughness, or roushness, in the mental and
moral, as well as the physical fiber.
The person who cannot deliver the knock
out blow to some suffering animal may be In
danger OF permitting cruelty to continue.
1t Dsessential that one not carry tender
heartedness, as fine as 1t u.s. too far Many
persons will think that pity for dying rats Is
too much.
We personally feel that such pity does great
credit to our correspondent. We would remind
MN, however, that rats are mans enemy,
Their record Of Ill to our race Is unquestioned.
Feeding the birds draws these rodents out
or their sewers. 1t does not cause" rats, rs
some folks say. The rats are there, always
hungry. always spreading disease
FED squlll Is perhaps the best material to
use, since 1t does not offer the danger of more
drastic materials Traps are dangerous to
cardinals and other beautiful birds. The
vicious little Hornet rife never should be used
In built up sections.
II red squill is used properly, and all outdoor
baths kept dry for the time being, rat eradi-
cation may be carried out effectively and safely.
The bait should be placed where no birds or
anlmals-except rats-can get ut it. This Is
= precaution which may not be altogether nee
essary, In q sense, with this material since IT
Is not virulent poison, Per se, but II IL Just
a. vel to b oo the Very asf0 ddn.