BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 343 



more generally with the economic losses and menace to health due 

 to the presence of rats and with effectiA^e methods of combating 

 them. 



In Utah the representative of the bureau cooperated with the ex- 

 tension service of the agricultural college and with the State super- 

 intendent of public instruction in presenting these matters effectively. 

 A State committee was created to combine the efforts of all organi- 

 zations into a State-wide movement, and similar committees were 

 appointed in the public schools and school districts. Teachers in the 

 schools made this a feature of their regular programs, specific phases 

 of the matter being covered by the various subject groups, as classes 

 in English, art, manual training, civics, biology, and hygiene. More 

 than 125,000 people cooperated in the campaign, and there were 

 distributed 15,000 Farmers' Bulletins on rats, 25,000 circulars giving 

 directions for trapping, and 20,000 circulars containing specific 

 instructions on methods of control ; 6,000 students received special 

 demonstrations, 37,000 posters were made in the schools, 30,000 essays 

 were written on the subject, and 29,000 educational questionnaires 

 were circulated; 1,250 pounds of barium carbonate were used in 

 poisoned baits. Newspapers were liberal in giving the campaign 

 publicity and in printing special articles on the subject of rat control. 



A somewhat similar undertaking was launched in Iowa on request 

 of interested citizens and organizations. An experienced representa- 

 tive of the bureau was detailed for a short time to work on educa- 

 tional material and outline methods adapted to conditions in this im- 

 portant agricultural State. The work was taken up actively by the 

 extension service of the agricultural college, by newspapers of State- 

 wide and local distribution, and by farm journals. The interest 

 aroused by these efforts, both in Iowa and other States reached by 

 the material issued, resulted in the destruction of great numbers of 

 rats and the adoption of means for preventing rat infestation of farm 

 buildings. 



Special attention was given the requirements of poultry raisers in 

 western Washington, both by means of demonstrations and by the 

 issuance by the local bureau representative, through the State agri- 

 cultural college and experiment station, of a circular prepared to 

 meet the specific problems regarding rat control in poultry plants. 



Investigations were conducted during the year for the purpose of 

 improving procedure in combating rats by trapping', poisoning, rat- 

 proof construction or repair of buildings, elimination of rat harbor- 

 age, and the proper disposal of garbage and other sources of rat 

 food. Special investigations were made regarding the effectiveness 

 of the various rat viruses on the market and extensively advertised as 

 a panacea for rat riddance. This work was carried on in cooperation 

 with the experiment station of the North Dakota Agricultural Col- 

 lege and with the Bureau of Animal Industry, of the Department of 

 Agriculture. The experiment station published a circular setting 

 forth the results obtained in the tests made at the station. All the 

 results obtained in connection with these investigations and a large 

 percentage of the reports from users of these products throughout 

 the country indicate that such viruses are generally unreliable, and at 

 their best the cost is out of all proportion to the destruction of rats 

 that may be accomplished by their use. 



25684— AGR 1923 23 



