MICE, TRAPS FOR. 



MIGNONETTE, TREE. 



when the string is gnawed through the 

 brick falls and crushes the mouse. The 

 object of the slate is to obtain a solid sur- 

 face on which the brick may fall ; if there 



FIG. 3. A GARDEN MOUSE TRAP. 



was a cavity in the earth the mouse might 

 take refuge therein, and thus make his 

 escape, and otherwise, if the soil were soft, 

 the poor animal might be partly driven into 

 it and its death struggle unduly prolonged. 

 The following plan has been found very 

 effectual in destroying mice. Fig. 3 is a re- 

 presentation of a trap which is a glazed pot, 

 about the size of a 24-inch pot, but 2 or 3 

 inches deeper, with four projections on the 

 upper edge, each opposite pair being placed 

 i^ inch apart. A zinc pail, however, may 

 be easily filled with the projections, and so 

 utilised for the purpose in view. The rest 

 of the apparatus consists of a round stick 

 3 inch in diameter, on the centre of which 

 is fixed a turned wooden roller, 3 inches 

 in diameter and f inch thick. The round 

 stick should be 5 inches longer than the 

 diameter of the pot and so project 2.\ inches 

 over its outside each way. Four or five 

 baits should be fastened on the edge of the 

 roller with tin-tacks ; the baits consisting 

 of either cheese or bacon rind, or garden 

 beans. Thus baited, the stick is laid 

 between the projections on the rim of the 

 pot, with the roller exactly in the centre. 

 The pot, or pail, must be half filled with 



water and sunk in the soil, so that the stick, 

 when in position, clears the ground about 

 J- inch. A mouse endeavouring to get at 

 the bait has to travel along the stick to the 

 roller, but cannot reach the bait without 

 rising on the roller ; when it does this the 

 roller revolves, the mouse loses its balance 

 and is precipitated into the water, leaving 

 the trap ready set for others to follow. 



Mignonette (nat. ord. Reseda'cese). 



A well-known fragrant favourite, which 

 forms a pleasing contrast to the more 

 showy occupants of the flower border. If 

 well thinned out immediately the plants 

 are large enough, they will grow stronger, 

 and produce larger racemes of bloom. The 

 seed should be scattered about shrub- 

 beries and mixed flower borders, where it 

 grows readily. There are many varieties 

 of mignonette, whose names may be as- 

 certained from any seedsman's list. The 

 "Giant" mignonette is, perhaps, the most 

 recent introduction. 



Mignonette, Tree. 



A plant or two of tree mignonette adds 

 greatly to the fragrance of the greenhouse, 



MIGNONETTE. 



if made to blossom during winter, which 

 is readily effected by stopping the blooms 

 in spring and autumn. The tree mignonette 

 is formed by training a vigorous plant of 

 common mignonette for about three years. 

 Sow the seed very thin in April, draw out 



