eggsi Oi Cnv^'&di that kina of cfem^ise is easy to see* Ivkch more so than the 

 slowj ato^d^- di\ain of grain ahd other farm ^i'oducts. 



Jrmes SilVet, of the fiivi^ion of i^reda-tory Aninal and Rodent 

 Control of the Biological S'-orvey, tells me tliat rats every year do $7 OCO 000 

 worth of damage to corn in storage alone. Hats are expert climbers too, end. 

 often d>.u.iage stsnding corn in the fields. 



Rats feed on all kinds of animal and vegetaole matter; They attack 

 cro-ps \n-hen they axc p.ust planted, while growing, dui-ing the hej^vesti in" 

 storage, ojid during transit, and in the m.ill, and in the store, ejid. in the 

 home, ind they ruin by pollution many times as mach as they eat. 



S'ig'aring that there are only as menj rats in this country, as there 

 are people, ojid that each rat destroys $2 v/orth of -•ropertj^'^^V y^^-Ty^^^"^^ 

 rats cXQ doing a da,nage of more than $2C'0,000,000 a 3^ear in this coxxntry 

 alone. 



"Pitj^, the l-'ied Piper of I-Iajaelin couldn't have broadcast that inusic by 

 radio," I remarked. 



"I'd rather trust to Red Sciuill thtm the Pied Pioer," he suggested. 



"Red squill is d.ead.ly to rats, vrhen they eat it, and they eat it freely. 

 Domesticated ajiiineJs and hunan beings don't like it, but even v/hen they c^o 

 get an overdase of it, it doesn't do them much harm. Por that reason, 

 pov/dered- red. squill is especially good to use to poison rats a,bout ■■Do-altrjr 

 plants, cjid br?ans, ajid other fpa^m buildings , v/here there is danger of farm 

 animals grining access to the baits. 



I'hen, too, one of the surest Y.'ays of killing rats in their b-orrov/s in 

 the groimd, and under tight floors, is by forcing calciian-cyanide d.y.st into 

 the btirroi'vs by means of a dust p'jmp. The daist forms a very deadly gas on 

 exoos-are to the air. Unliire red. squill, it isn't deadly to rats only. It 

 is fatal to man and other animals even in verj'- smaJl q^iaiit ities and ae sho\i2d 

 only be used in the o.pen 8,ir, 



Rats cam also be killed in their Qurro.'/rB bj^ the e:diaust of an au.tomobile. 

 By attaching a garden hose to the exha-ust pipe, and letting the auto engine 

 run at moderate speed for ten minutes or more while directing the hose into 

 the brn'row, you can do a-n effective job of gassing. 



However, yoxx will find the different v/ays of getting rid of rats in 

 Parmers' Snlletin llo, 15oo-P on "Ri\t Control." That bulletin tells not only 

 h^Yi to kill rats, but how to keep them out, Ivlr, Silver wrote that bulletin 

 himself and gives more, details there thaji re could get into a short taHc. 



Buildings have to be biiilt right to keep out rats. Every new 

 building should be rat-proof, viiether in the tov;n or country. And. much can 

 be done to ;;)rotect even old bviildings in cities against rats. 



Rats need food azLd shelter, Fnere they can't get food and shelter, 

 they ca.n't live long. 



