713 



steel traps, smallest sized ones, hidden in bian. meal, 

 or covered lightlj with dirt and placed in runways arc 

 often very efifective. When a Rat is caug-ht in a steel 

 trap it is well to smoke it by holding it over burning 

 paper or chicken feathers to remove all traces of tin- 

 first victim before you set it a second time. 



THE WIRE NOOSE. 



Rats are sometimes caught with a noose, made from 

 fine brass wire, fastened at one end by a nail above, 

 with the noose hung over the hole they come out of. 

 If this method is employed it is best to have a piece 

 «f wire without a noose for several days over the hole 

 and allow the free end of the wire to hang in front or 

 at the side of the hole so the wary Rats will become 

 accustomed to it. They will then be much more likely 

 to get ensnared in the noose when it is set for them. 



THE MII>K C.\N TRAP. 



A farmer in Bradford county employs the follow 

 ing method in killing Rnts with good success. Con- 

 cerning it he says: Take a large milk can — such as is 

 used to ship milk — which will hold forty or fifty 

 (|iiarts. place a board alongside of the can, so Rajts can 

 run np to tlie top or mouth of can, and put a piece of 

 hoard inside of can long enough to reach from top to 

 bottom of the vessel: then scatter corn, wheat, oats or 

 meal over bottom of can. The bait should be replen 

 ished for several days so that the Rats will become 

 accustomed to it and know where they can get a goixl 

 square meal. Then remove the board from the inside. 

 The Rats will run up the outside board and jump into 

 can and cannot get out. As many as eight or ten of 

 these animals have been caught in one night in this 



