V E R 



V E R 



ing liglitly covered in : if the seeds be permitted 

 to scatter, good ])laiits may be raised : some- 

 times they are sown on beds to be afterwards re- 

 moved. 



In the perennial sorts the roots may be parted 

 in the autumn or early spring, and planted out 

 where they are to grow, or in nursery-rows to 

 be afterwards removed. 



They should not be parted too small, or oftener 

 than every two years : the large-growing sorts 

 are proper for the borders, clumps, &c. and the 

 trailing kinds for banks and shady slopes, or 

 other similar places : they are hardy, and require 

 only to be kept clean afterwards. 



The eighth sort is readily increased by cut- 

 tings in the spring and summer, being managed 

 as a hardy greenhouse plant in the same way as 

 the Myrtle. 



In very mild winters it sometimes stands se- 

 cure in the open air. 



The annual and perennial sorts afford variety 

 ha the borders, clumps, and other parts of plea- 

 sure-grounds, and the last among plants of the 

 hardy potted green-house kinds. 



VERMIN, a term applied to various small 

 animals that are injurious to garden crops. 



Rats and Mice are of this kind, and do much 

 mischief in sheds and other places, where they 

 frequently destroy beans, pease, and other seeds : 

 they should therefore be extirpated as much as 

 possible. 



And there are different modes of destroying 

 them; as by traps, poison, &c. But Mr. For- 

 syth advises never to use arsenic, or corrosive 

 sublimate, for that purpose, except under parti- 

 cular circumstances, as they are deadly poison : 

 nux vomica will, he thinks, generally answer 

 the end as well, without the danger. He has sug- 

 gested it as a very good plan lo prevent acci- 

 dents, to " enclose the traps in cases, having 

 holes in the ends of them large enough to admit 

 rats, but small enough to exclude dogs, cats, &c." 



The following is recommended as a bait for 

 rat-traps. " Take a pound of good flour, three 

 ounces of treacle, and six drops of the oil of 

 carav^fays : put them all in a dish, and rub them 

 •well toge'i'ier till they are properly mixed ; then 

 add a pound of crumb of bread. The traps 

 baited with this mixture should be set as near 

 their haunts as possible ; but, for two or tliree 

 days, so as not to fall or strike on the rats going 

 in, but letting them have free liberty to go in 

 and out at pleasure, as this makes them fearless. 

 Some of the bait should also be laid at the rat- 

 holes, and a little of it scattered quite up to the 

 iraps, and so on to the bridge of each trap, 

 where a handful may be 'placed." It may also, 

 he says, " be proper to scent ihe traps with the 



Vol. II. 



following mixture, for the purpose of enticing 

 the rats into them. 



" Take twenty drops of oil of rhodium, six or 

 seven grains of musk, and half an ounce of oil 

 of aniseed ; put them in a small phial, and 

 shake it well before using; then dip a bit of 

 twisted paper, or rag, in the mixture, and rub 

 each end of the trap with it, if a box-trap, and 

 put two or three drops on the bridge, leaving tlie 

 paper or rag in the trap. Of whatever kind the 

 trap is, it should, he says, be scented ; but once 

 in a twelvemonth will be sufficient. Then throw 

 some chaff mixed with a little wheat about 

 the bottom of the trap, in order to deceive the 

 rats; for they are very sagacious, and will not 

 enter a suspicious place. This will be necessary 

 to be done only at the first time of settino- the 

 traps, for after some rats have been caught and 

 have watered and dunged in them, rats will en- 

 ter boldly when they find others have been there 

 before them : do not, therefore, wash or clean 

 out the trap, as some people do before they set 

 it again, but let the dung and urine remain m it. 

 Keep the pliices, where the traps are set as pri- 

 vate as possible; and when they are set for 

 catching, mix no bread with the bait, as the 

 rats will in that case be apt to carry it away." 



It is advised, "when the holes are found 

 quiet, and that no rats use them, to stop them 

 up with the following composition. Take a 

 pint of conmion tar, half an ounce of pearl- 

 ashes, an ounce of oil of vitriol, and a good 

 handful of common salt, mix them all well to- 

 gether, in an old pan or pot. Take some pieces 

 of paper, and lay some of the above mixture 

 very thick on them ; then stop the holes well up 

 with them, and build up the mouth of the holes 

 with brick or stone, and mortar; if this be pro- 

 perly done, rats will, he asserts, no more ap- 

 proach these, while either smell or taste remains 

 in the composition." 



In order to destroy the rats in places where 

 traps cannot be set, hercconmiends us to "take 

 a quart of the above bait, then rasp into it three 

 nuts of nux vomica, and add a quarter of a 

 pound of crumb of bread, if there was none be- 

 fore; mix them all well together, and lay It into 

 the mouth of their holes, and in different places 

 where they frequent ; but first give them of the 

 bait without the nux vomica, for three or four 

 succeeding nights; and when they find it agrees 

 with them, they will eat that mixed with the 

 nut with greediness." 



It is observed that " rats are frequently very 

 troublesome in sewers and drains. In such 

 cases arsenic may be used with success, as fol- 

 lov.s : Take some dead rats, and having put some 

 white arsenic, finely powdered, into an old pcp- 

 3 S 



