RAT 



RAT 



V7ith small, strni^lif. slrndor prickles, 

 '"recjuciUly ratlun- rcscmhling bristles 

 than prickles, and somciiiiies alto- 

 gether absent. Leaves pinnate, of 

 five or three ovate, rather angular, 

 lateral leaflets, serrated or cut, and 

 angular, green, and nearly smooth 

 above, ^ery downy beneath, and a 

 larger terminal leaflet. The foot- 

 etalks are Ciirroued, downy, and 

 prickly, with narrow lateral stipules. 

 The flowers are small, white, or pink- 

 ish-white, pendulous, in drooping ter- 

 minal clusters. Fruit crimson, of 

 lunncrous juicy grains, beset with the 

 permanent styles, and highly fra- 

 grant, with a very deliciously-per- 

 fumed, sweet, and acid flavour, more 

 exquisite in the wild state, in general, 

 than Vv-hen cultivated. 



"The wood of the raspberry bush 

 produces fruit hut one year, there- 

 fore that should be carefully cut down 

 below the surface of the earth, and 

 the young shoots should be shorten- 

 ed to about two feet high ; and not 

 more than three or four shoots should 

 be left to each root, as these will [iro- 

 duce a greater number of berries, and 

 larger Iruit, than would be obtained 

 if twice that number of suckers were 

 left. The middle or end of October 

 is the proper time for this pruning. 

 The fruit is produced from young 

 branches out of the last year's shoots 

 or suckers. I'he plants raised hy 

 layers are much preferred to those 

 taken from suckers ; they should also 

 have plenty of room, for when there 

 is not space for the air and light to 

 pass between the rows, the fruit will 

 be small, and will not ripen well. 

 They require a fresh, strong loam, 

 deeply trenched and well manured m 

 the lirst instance, for in warm, ligiit 

 ground they [)roduce but little fruit. 



" l"he following selection is recom- 

 mended for a small garden : Barnet, 

 Cornish, double-bearing red Antwerp, 

 Williams's preserving yellow Ant- 

 werp." — {Johnson.) 



RAT. Mils raiius. "Few animals 

 are more destructive of every kind of 

 grain than rats. When a barn is in- 

 fested with them, it is scarcely pos- 

 sible to get rid of them. They will 

 654 



leave it for a time, and the farmer 

 imagines that they are all destroyed ; 

 but no sooner is the corn brought in 

 than they resume their depredations. 

 There are means, however, of de- 

 stroying them, and some of these 

 means are equally eflectual and inge- 

 nious. The most obvious way of de- 

 stroying rats is to poison them, which 

 appears an easy matter ; but it is not 

 so without an accurate knowledge of 

 the habits of these creatures. Their 

 sense of smelling is more acute than 

 we can well conceive, and their cau- 

 tion is not easily deceived. It is dif- 

 ficult to entice them with food when 

 they have plenty of grain to satisfy 

 their hunger. Patience and perse- 

 verance alone can lull their caution 

 to rest. 



"The principle on which all rat- 

 catchers proceed is to entice the rats 

 to some particular spot convenient 

 for their future operations. There 

 are some strong scents which these 

 animals seem to delight in, and by 

 means of these their natural sagacity 

 is deceived. Oil of rhodium, of cara- 

 way, or anise seed, and musk, are 

 great favourites with rats. Rags im- 

 pregnated with these, and which have 

 not been in contact with any part of 

 the body of a man, being laid, as if 

 by accident, will induce them to come 

 out of their hiding-places in the night, 

 and frequent the spot where the smell 

 attracts them. Gradually they will 

 i)ecome familiarized with the place ; 

 and pieces of talloM', or cheese, or 

 malt-dust may be placed near with- 

 out exciting their suspicion. After 

 they have been fed for a time, they 

 will readily eat anything that may be 

 thrown down, provided it has not 

 been touched by the hand without the 

 covering of a glove properly scented. 

 It will take some time to accom- 

 plish this ; and when they are to be 

 poisoned, a quantity of poisoned food, 

 similar to what they have been ac- 

 customed to feed on, must be pre- 

 pared, sufficient to poison all those 

 which are supposed to frequent the 

 place. The poisons commonly used 

 are arsenic, nux vomica, powdered 

 Spanish flies, and cocculus indicus, 



