

Ground Vermin Traps. 275 



and a swivel, terminated by a ring of about one-and-a- 

 quarter inches diameter. These chains are in some traps 

 well made, but we cannot say this of all makes, as in 

 most cases they are nothing but make - believes as far 

 as reliability is concerned, and we have often, when 

 testing them, found them singularly weak and inefficient. 

 In such cases the chains should not be purchased with 

 the traps, but separately, and if one does not mind 

 slight extra expense, it is a more advisable plan to order 

 them from a blacksmith, being very careful to remind 

 him to make them trustworthy, but not clumsy. 



The small ring at the extremity of the chain is for what is 

 termed the stake, by means of which the trap is fastened 

 to the ground. These stakes are invariably a source 

 of great annoyance and hindrance on account of their 

 breaking and continually requiring to be replaced, having 

 become rotten or useless. After having tried all kinds of 

 sizes and shapes, we consider the following the most ser- 

 viceable and least troublesome to employ : Obtain some 

 well-seasoned straight ash boughs of as near as possible 

 4in. or 5in. diameter, and saw them into lengths of a foot. 

 Then having split each length into 4 or 6, according to 

 the size of the boughs, partly round and sharpen them 

 off to a point from about ^in. from the top, leaving this 

 part wholly untouched. They should not be made too 

 small, but of such thickness that when the ring of the 

 chain is put on it must be hammered down the last inch 

 of the way, and will be overlapped by the part not 

 rounded. If the stakes are handily made in this manner 

 they will grip the ground exceedingly well, and be found 



