METHODS OF CIRCUMVENTING VERMIN 139 



make him difficult to deal with, but he has a weakness : 

 more than aught else he seems to fear the place where 

 rats die, or disappear, or where things are torn up and 

 topsy-turveyed. He can be fought on this basis. 



He can be fought on the basis of prevention, and the 

 cities are being called upon to unite in such warfare. 

 We need to deal with him always on suspicion, even as 

 he deals with us. We need to clear up every harbor of 

 boards or rubbish heaps or tumble-down buildings. The 

 rat must hide ; this is our cue. We need concrete floors 

 and foundations which he cannot penetrate. We need 

 to fight him in advance, everywhere and always. 



The necessity for extermination of the rat has recently 

 become so grave that the United States government has 

 placed its immense prestige behind the movement. Sev- 

 eral countries have made efforts along this line, but 

 without wholly satisfactory results. It is evident that 

 international cooperation will be necessary to handle 

 this small but shrewd and vicious enemy to mankind. 

 One of the first undertakings urged is the " rat-proof- 

 ing " of all buildings within city limits. It is to the sea- 

 ports and cities, largely, that the outlying towns and the 

 country places owe the plague of rats. Yet the cities 

 alone cannot now deal thoroughly with it. If the cities 

 kill, as San Francisco, in her extremity, did, the country 

 is saved. But if the cities drive out, without killing, 

 the country places must suffer from this action. It is 

 evident that every individual must add his effort at ex- 

 termination. The rat-proofing of granaries has long 

 been a necessity for the farm ; not so, apparently, the 

 rat proofing of grain barrels and bins. These should 

 not be neglected. The hopper feeding of poultry, so 



