POISONING AND TRAPPING 295 



dough composed of four parts of meal or flour 

 and one part of the mineral ; or of oatmeal with 

 about one-eighth of its bulk of the mineral; or 

 the barium may be spread upon toasted bread, 

 etc. A small quantity say a teaspoonful 

 should be placed in the rat-runs, and repeated 

 with change of bait until all the rats disappear. 

 This is probably the best poison for use in 

 dwelling houses. 



Strychnia sulphate is too rapid in action to 

 make it advisable for use in our houses, since 

 the animals die and decay in their holes in the 

 walls and foundations, but for barns, ware- 

 houses and outer premises generally it is the 

 most effective agent. The dry crystals may be 

 inserted in small pieces of raw meat, or toasted 

 cheese, and these placed in the runs or burrows ; 

 or oatmeal may be moistened with a strychnine 

 sirup, and small quantities laid in the same 

 way. 



Strychnine sirup is prepared as follows: 

 Dissolve a half ounce of strychnia sulphate in 

 a pint of boiling water; add a pint of thick 

 sugar sirup and stir thoroughly. A smaller 

 quantity of the poison may be prepared with 



