188 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



of being accidentally tasted by children or others, it will be 

 'attended with no worse consequence than leaving a disagreeable 

 bitter taste in the mouth ; unless, indeed, a considerable quan- 

 tity of it be taken, which would, no doubt, prove fatal^ ; as 

 it is possessed of a strong narcotic quality, and is found a cer- 

 tain poison for dogs and cats, as well as for rats and mice. 

 All domestic animals should, therefore, be kept from the places 

 where the poison is laid. A very good way to prevent ac- 

 cidents is, to enclose the traps in cases, having holes in the ends 

 of them large enough to admit the rats, but small enough to 

 exclude dogs, cats, &c. 



A Bait for Rat Traps, 



Take a pound of good flour, three ounces of molasses, 

 and six drops of the oil of carraways ; put them all in a dish, 

 and rub them well together till they are properly mixed ; then 

 add a pound of crumbs of bread. 



Set the traps, baited with some of the foregoing mixture, 

 as near iheir haunts as possible ; but, for two or three days, so 

 as not to fall or strike on the rats going in, and let them have 

 free liberty to go in and out at pleasure ; this will make them 

 fearless. Lay some of the bait at the rat-holes, and scatter a 

 little of it quite up to the traps, and so on to the bridge of each 

 trap, where you may lay a handful. It may also be proper to 

 scent the traps w^ith the following mixture, for the purpose of 

 enticmg the rats into them. 



Take twenty drops of oil of rhodium, six or seven grains 

 of musk, and half an ounce of oil of anniseed ; 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 the paper or rag in the trap. Of whatever 

 kind the trap is, it should be scented : 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 suspir 

 eious place. This will be necessary to be done only at the first 

 time of setting the traps ; for after some rats have been caught 

 and have watered and dunged in them, rats will enter 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 in it. Keep 



* It has been taken in doses from five to ten grains, twice a day, in in- 

 t€rmittents and d^^senteries. 



