1837] 



i'ARMERS' REGISTER. 



653 



For the Farniera' Register. 

 RAT PROOF SMOKK-IIOUSES. 



In conversation with a frieni.1, sometime since, 

 I was sLirpriseil to find tliat he liad never heard 

 of any plan of construction, lor a smoue house, 

 which would render it proof a<i;aiiist rats, and tiiat 

 he did not think, there was one such house in his 

 county, Alhemarle, which, in an agricultural point 

 of view, ranks ainoni^ the torernost in the state. 

 This roiniiided me of a remark often repeated in 

 our agricultural journals, that there are many 

 matters in very common use, in some localities, of 

 which the public at larire know nothing, and 

 from which no general benefit is derived. Are- 

 collection of this conversation, now reminds me 

 of another thing, which produces some shame. 

 This conversation occurred two or three years 

 ago; and though I was able to suggest two plans 

 for the construction of rat-proof smoke-houses, 

 and was fully resolvm."-, as soon as I got home, to 

 communicate them, for the "Register," yet I have 

 deferred it, from time to time, until the present. 

 This is the way we all do; but better late than never. 



The house should be raised about three feet from 

 the ground and rested on a wall, or on pillars: it 

 should have a floor of thick strong plank, closely 

 laid, with a hole cut in its centre, about four feet 

 square, under which, should be a close strong wall 

 of brick or stone, forming a pit m which to build 

 fires for smoking. The door, weather-boardmg, 

 cornice and shingling, should, of course, be so 

 close as to prevent the entrance of rats. For the 

 sake of cleanliness and safety from fire, the floor 

 should be covered over several inches deep with 

 sand and well paved with brick, flat stone or peb- 

 bles, [f it is deemed important to save the mis- 

 tress of the household from the trouble of person- 

 al attention, whenever a smoke is made, a flue 

 may be constructed, extending from the central 

 pit, tar enough beyond the outer walls of the house, 

 to avoid the danger of fire-. In this case, strips of 

 sheet-iron should be placed on the walls of the pit, 

 jutting over in such a manner, as to prevent rats 

 from climbing into the house, should they pass 

 through the flue. A house constructed in this 

 way, if well made, will effectually keep out rats, 

 and the additional expense incurred beyond the or- 

 dinary cost of a smoke house, but litttle, if at all, 

 transcends the loss frequently sustained from the 

 depredations of ratSj in one year. 



The same end may also be obtained by making 

 the sills of the house so deep, that space enough 

 may be allowed for counter-sinking its strong 

 sleepers sufficiently low down to give room for a 

 good bed of"sand and a good pavement above the 

 plank floor, and beneath the upperjsurface of the 

 sills. 



Or, perhaps the cheapest plan would be to give 

 to the house a good unJer-pinning of stone and 

 lime mortar, sunk in the ground to a good founda- 

 tion — to dig out the earth on the inside to within a 

 few inches of the bottom of the wall, then pave 

 with stone and lime mortar, and throw upon the 

 pavement suitable clay or earth for making a 

 good dirt-floor, and ram it well. By this plan, the 

 expense of sleepers and a plank floor is saved, and 

 the barriers against the rats, seem to be equally 

 eflfectual. A gentleman recently showed me such 

 a house, which, though new, had so far, perfectly 

 fulfilled expectations. The floor was a foot or two 

 Vol. V— 71 



below the top of the wall, and strong planks vver6 

 laid upon the sills at each end of the house, form- 

 ing shelves, on which barrels and other lumbei' 

 could be placed, and affording an airy space be- 

 neath, which was neatly swept, where no strag- 

 gling rat could find a hiding-place, should one ac- 

 cidentally gain admittance. The under-pinning of 

 tliishouse, and the floor, as my friend assured mcj 

 were made by the laborers on his firm; and al- 

 though a little rough, wouldj as 1 felt convinced} 

 answer the purpose intended, as well as the neat- 

 est masonry. The foregoing subject is acknowl- 

 edged to be humble; but I do not consider my- 

 self exonerated from the obligation to contribute 

 my mite, merely because I feel unable to instruct 

 in the higher concerns of agriculture. Humblej 

 however, as it may be, it is also important. Our 

 brethren in Pennsylvania, I have learned, when 

 first settling a farm, de novo, build excellent out- 

 houses, before incurring much expense on the 

 dwelling, and are never satisfied until all their build- 

 ings are good. Were we to imitate them in this, 

 we would doubtless think more of improving our 

 lands, and be less tempted to expatriation. 



The stale witticism, that " the best way to 

 make your corn house rat-proofj is to keep it 

 empty," may also be applied to the meat-house. 

 But those who have comfortable experience in 

 both rat-proof corn and meat-houses, feel that 

 "he who wins, may laugh," and can well afford to 

 leave to the jokers, their hearted corn and hollow 

 ham-skins. 



For the Farmers' Register. 

 BEAVERS ON THE NOTTOWAY RIVER. 



Another small matter, which has not, to my 

 knowledge, been communicated to the public, is 

 the fact, that beavers live, in great numbers, on 

 the Nottoway river and its tributaries. Not resid- 

 ing in that region, I am unable to afford much 

 minute information on the subject. Should the 

 editor of the 'Register' think it sufBciently im- 

 portant, I suppose he may easily investigate the 

 matter more fully. 



While at the house of a friend in Lunenburg 

 county, several years ago, I observed the fresh 

 tail of^ a beaver nailed to a tree in his yard. He 

 told me, the animal was shot a few days previous- 

 ly by a member of his fltmily, and assured me, 

 that there were many of them on the river before 

 mentioned, and, I think, remarked that they were 

 rapidly increasing. The hunters for them lie con- 

 cealed on the bank, before day in the morning, 

 and shoot them with large shot; such as are not 

 very suddenly killed, are almost certain to es- 

 cape, by diving under the water. It was also 

 stated lo me, that they were fi-equently baited 

 with poles and limbs of the young sweet-gum, 

 being very fond of eating its inner bark. Many 

 of them are caught in traps, which were impor- 

 ted for the purpose, by Messrs. Van-Lew and 

 Morton, of Petersburg. The number of such 

 traps, sold by these gentlemen, was stated to be 

 great; but is not distinctly recollected. The most 

 curious fact in relation to these animals is, that 

 being compelled to live in a settled country, and 

 finding themselves unable to indulge, without in- 

 terruption, their wonderful propensity for buildinf* 

 dams, they should have the sagacity to accom^ 



