Vol. XVIII. So. 460. 



THE AGRICTJLTCTRAL -VEWS. 



Z99 



RATS AND THEIR EXTERMINATION. 



More and more attention is being directed to the 

 extermination of rats, animals which, though of Asiatic 

 origin, have spread all over the world, and, linking their 

 fortunes with those of humanity, have developed into serious 

 posts, taking a heavy toll from human prosperity, and forra- 

 iBg a deadly menace to the public health. 



As one of its Economic Series (No. 8) the British 

 Museum (Natural History) has issued an important pamphlet 

 giving a brief account of these various animals, their habits 

 and breeding. This pamphlet also deals with their economic 

 indportance, and their relations to the public health, and 

 suggests measures by which they can be contioUed, if not 

 exterminated. 



The principal suggestion is that a country should be 

 divided into districts, each having, as far as possible, water 

 for its boundaries. Work in each district should commence 

 at the boundaries and proceed gradually towards ihe centre. 

 Systematic operations — poisoning, fumigation of burrows, 

 ■trapping, etc. — should be carried out not only by paid officersi 

 but a'so by every individual householder. 



This intensive system of attack is now a recognized 

 leading principle in public hygiene, and is the only way to 

 effect the extermination of pests and diseases in relation to 

 jnan. 



As regards methods of rat destruction, some important 

 results are shortly to be issued in detail by the Zoological 

 Society of London. The subject has recently been inve.stigated 

 for the Society by Mr. E. G. Boulenger, and in Nafinr for 

 October 2, 1919, reference is made, as follows, to some of 

 the results obtained. 



Where rats were present in large numbers, and where 

 it was not practicable to use gas, poisioning was found to 

 be the best and cheapest method to adopt for their destruc- 

 tion. Of all the poisons experimented with, squill, the 

 extract of the bulb of the Mediterranean plant, Scilla man 

 iima, gave the greatest satisfaction. Good result were also 

 obtained with barium carbonate. Both these poisons, 

 Mr. Boulenger said, were, in the small quantities required to 

 kill rats and mice, more or less harmless to domestic animals. 

 The destructive power of virus was found to be more 

 Ontrustworthy than that of some poisons. The most suc- 

 Eessful form of trap consists of a tunnel-shaped cage with 

 open doors at each end, which shut when the rat treads on a 

 platform in the centre of the passage. The common steel- 

 gin-trap was specially successful when covered with wire 

 tunnels. A large number of experiments was conducted in 

 order to ascertain whether there was any truth in the 

 Statement that rats are influenced by human odour. Asa 

 result of these experiments, it was found that it was super- 

 fluous to avoid handling traps on the assumption that 

 tats are detracted by the odour of men. Sulphur 

 dioxide was found to be the most effective gas, and 

 was recommended for killing rats on ships and in confined 

 -paces. VVhen driven off under pressure, the gas could be 

 :sed with success in fumigating rat holes in the open. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES ON 

 MARKET. 



THE LONDON 



Mr. J. R. Jackson, A.L.S., has forwarded the fol- 

 lowing report on the Londoa drug and spice markets 

 tor the month of October : 



The recent strike of the railway men throughout the» 

 Kingdom, though It was of comparatively short 'duration 

 was sufliciently long to disorganize trade and commerce 

 generally. In the Produce Markets its effect was severely 

 telt. Many of the auctions that had been previously fixed: 

 had to be p stponed at the last minute, added to which there, 

 was the uncertainty whether the transport workers would 

 remain at their duties In the abnormal condition ia 

 which the markets are at the time of writing, th- questioi*. 

 of prices paid for many of the products referred to in these, 

 notes, must not be taken as a standacd price. The following 

 are some of the principal items of West Indian production- 



GINGER, NUTMEGS, M.VCB, PIMENTO AND .\.KR0 W ROOT. 



At auction on the 1 6th of the month Jamaica ginger 

 was in slow demand at from 85i-. to 90^-., at which rate. 

 African and Japanese were quoted Good sound Coohia 

 was reported scarce at lOOj-. to lOoj At the same auction 

 17 packages of nutmegs were also offered an 1 sold at. 

 the following rates- 92's to 80's, \s. S<i. to Is lOd.- 99's to 

 76's, slightly wormy. Is. 6r/. to Is. lU.; llO's to 108's, also 

 slightly wormy, \s. bd. to l.f. 9</.; while 1.30's sound were 

 quoted at \s M, Mace was also in fair supply at the same 

 sale, 17 packages of . West Indian being offered, fino 

 pale fetching 2j. \d. to 2.f. -Id., good \s. 9,/. to \s. 10,/, and 

 fair \s. 8d. There has been a steady market in pimento 

 throughout the month at oSd. per lb. At auction on the- 

 16th of the month 50 barrels of St. Vincent arrowroot 

 were oftered and 25 sold at o'^d. per B). 



S.4RSAPARILLA. 



At auction on the 2;3rd of the month sarsaparilla was 

 represented by 26 packages of grey Jamaica, only 10 of 

 which found buyers; 2,f. 9(/. per lb. was the price wanted; 

 3 bales of red native Jamaica were disposed of at Is. 6d! 

 per &.; some 16 serons of Honduras were sold at 

 from 4s. to 45. 3d. 



CITRIC ACID, LIME JUICE, KOLA, TAMARIND.S, AND 

 CASSIA FISTULA. 



Citric acid has been slightly cbeaper at is. 3d. per B). 

 West Indian lime juice and lime oil hare been in good 

 supply, good raw juice selling at is. dd. to 3.f. per 

 gallon. Kola has also been in good supply. A t auction on 

 the 16th of the month go;>d souad Vffst Indian wa-i .-< >Id at 

 "id. to 7 Sd. per lb. Again on the 23rd, 160 packiges war« 

 offered but only 82 found buyers At th-.' e d of the month 

 some 60 odd birrels of West In iinn tauurind:", described 

 as -ordinary -toney', were limited at 47^. \jd. It ii reported 

 that Cassia Fis'ula pod.s have been selling at from liiOs. u> 

 170i. per cwt., and holders are now asking 200,>. 



