FARMERS' REGISTER— SPECIFIC MANURES, &c. 



bridge of <he trap whilst warm, and tw^o small 

 spikes should be there fixed to receive and hold it. 

 When the traps are to be set in the garden, or for- 

 cing liouse, where the short-tailed field mouse of- 

 ten does much injury, it will be proper to place a 

 piece of carrot under the scented cheese; for this 

 mouse, the only remaining mischievous species, is 

 not fond of animal substances, tliough it appears 

 as strongly attracted by oil of carraways, in combi- 

 nation with its favorite food, as any of its con- 

 geners. In buildings of every kind, the trap will 

 succeed best if placed close against a wall, and at 

 a small distance from the passages through which 

 the mice are supposed to enter, as recommended 

 for rats ; but it will not'be necessary to mask the 

 trap at all, nor to bait it previously to being set. 



In a case where so much precision is required, 

 as in taking rats, the causes of failure are numer- 

 ous : the oil of carraways may not have been good 

 of its kind: the malt may not have been proper : 

 and it is the scent of this substance, in combination 

 with that of the oil of carrav>'ays, which appears to 

 attract the rats. Even the quality of the straw 

 is very important ; for as the oil of carraways must 

 be used in an exceedingly small quantity, it is ea- 

 sily overpowei-ed. But the evidence which the 

 author has adduced of his own success, he trusts, 

 is unquestionable ; and he has no doubt, that any 

 person who attentively follows these directions, 

 will not be disappointed. 



The annual value of the crops of wheat and oats, 

 alone, of the British European empire, cannot be 

 less, the author observes, than 25 millions sterling; 

 and of this, at least, one fiftieth part, upon the 

 lowest calculation, is eaten or destroyed by rats 

 and mice. The public loss therefore, in these ar- 

 ticles alone, is at least £500,000 per annum, ex- 

 clusive of the dama^'e done in ships, in storehou- 

 ses, and buildings of every kind. The advantages 

 to be derived therefore from the adoption of this 

 plan, can hardly be sufficiently estimated. 



Copy of a letter from T. A. Knight, Esq. of 

 Downton Castle, to the Rev. J Duncumb, Se- 

 cretary to the Herefordshire Society. 



Downton Castle, Feb. 18, 1812. 

 Dear Sir, — In compliance with the wishes of the 

 Agricultural Society of Herefordshire, Mr. Broad 

 of Thruxton has been here to afford me an oppor- 

 tunity of witnessing the very extraordinary pow- 

 ers which many respectable inhabitants of Here- 

 fordshire have stated him to possess, of attracting 

 or taking rats ; and I am happy in being able to 

 inform you, that his success has been most com- 

 plete, though he had to contend with more than or- 

 dinary difficulties. The rats in my house and pre- 

 mises were not very numerous ; and they had been 

 much harassed, and many had been killed, and 

 the i-emainder rendered shy and suspicious : and, 

 as they had access to my scullery, kitchen, and 

 stables, they were probably well supplied with 

 food of various kinds. I imagined that under 

 these iL'ircumstances they could only be taken at 

 night ; but Mr. Broad desired me to appoint any 

 hours of the day which were most convenient to 

 me ; and by my appointment he commenced his 

 operations about the middle of the day upon 

 Thursday last, the I2th. 



Five box traps, nearly of tlie ordinary construc- 

 tion, being set, were examined by me about two 

 o'clock, and the five traps contained fifteen rats. 

 Vol. I.— 5 



These were taken out, and the traps in succession 

 set again ; and as soon as I had seen the rats kill- 

 ed, I returned again to the traps, when I found 

 the falling doors of all down, and seven rats enclos- 

 ed : Upon these being taken away, the traps 

 were set again, and within less than 20 minutes 

 nine more rats Avere taken ; when the traps w^ere 

 removed to be baited again. During the succeed- 

 ing 36 hours, the rats continued to enter the traps, 

 though more slowly ; and upon Saturday morning 

 59 rats had been taken. Sir. Broad then return- 

 ed home, leaving the traps properly baited, and in- 

 forming me that he believed the extensive drains 

 about my house and buildings still contained ten 

 or a dozen rats, which would come to the traps ; 

 and, within the succeeding 24 hours, eight more 

 rats, making in the whole 67, were taken. Sub- 

 sequently not a single rat has been seen or heard 

 about my house ; and all my people agree with 

 me in thinking, that not one remains alive here. 

 Some of those destroyed were young; but much 

 the greater part were very large and well fed, and 

 apparently very old. 



There apjjears to be no difficulty whatever in 

 the managementof the traps, or skill required to 

 make them ; and I cannot but give my opinion 

 decisively, that, by the means Mr. Broad employs, 

 rats may be, under almost all circumstances, ef- 

 fectually destroyed in a very few days: and I be- 

 lieve this species of animal might be almost exter- 

 minated, for they appear to lose all their native sa- 

 gacity, and to enter the traps with the blind stupi- 

 dity of moles. 



1 am, dear sir, &c. 



THOMAS ANDREW KNIGHT. 



Spe€iMcJfIauur€S— Clover— Field 

 Peas, 



May 18th, 1833. 



Tathe Editor of the Farmers'' Hegister. 



Sir, — I have long wished the publication in 

 eastern Virginia of a paper similar in character 

 with that which the prospectus of the Farmers' 

 Register indicates. From it, I confidently antici- 

 pate important improvements in our agricultural 

 operations, as w ell as an increase in the fertility of 

 our farms, surpassing what had (until within a 

 few years,) been hoped by the most sanguine pro- 

 prietor. Under that excitement, and pei-ceiving 

 that you invite the transmission of agricultural no- 

 tices of even mnior importance, I have determined 

 to send this paper, in aid of what I deem a lauda- 

 ble adventure on your part — leaving it entirely in 

 your discretion to publish or suppress it. 



No intelligent agriculturist hesitates to admit 

 that the deterioration or increased fertility of our 

 farms depends essentially on the greater or less 

 quantity of animal and vegetable manures spread 

 on them, and that to increase the amount, ought to 

 form a primary object in the operations of every 

 intelligent proprietor — still, as valuable auxilia- 

 ries are doubtless attainable, it becomes our duty 

 to seek after them with greater assiduity than has as 

 yet been manifested. The resemblances in the ani- 

 mal and vegetable kingdoms, (so numerous and 

 so obvious as to induce the most intelligent writers 

 on natural history to class them as beings of the 

 same order, and that nature passes from the one to 

 the other by imperceptible degrees,) affords an 

 unbounded field for investigation, and when ex- 



