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Article LXIV. 

 DireSliom for dejlroying Rats in Farm-Vards. 



Gentlemen, Earnly, Feb. 15, 1782, 



AS Rats are a fpecies of vermin very prejudi- 

 cial to the farmer, I think every method 

 recommended to deftroy them merits attention; 

 and therefore fend you the following, which, after 

 trying a multitude of other things, I found mod 

 fuccefsful. 



"To a quart of oatmeal, I put fix drops of rho- 

 dium, a grain of mufk, and two or three nuts of 

 nux vomica finely powered. 



This mixture I made up into pellets, and laid 

 them in the holes where the rats frequented. 

 This was at firft greedily eaten, and did great 

 execution; but thefe fugacious animals foon dis- 

 covered their enemy, and fwallowed the bait no 

 more. 



I then tried the following: — To three parts of 

 oatmeal, I put a fourth of ftaves-acre powdered, 

 mixed them well, and made into a parte with 

 honey. I laid pieces of this in the holes, and fo 



many 



