10 



farmers' bulletin 8I)G. 



serious waste is the application of concrete to holes in the basement 

 wall or the slight repair of a defective part of the building. 



Produce in transit. — Much loss of fruits, vegetables, and other prod- 

 uce occurs in transit by rail and on ships. Most of the damage is 

 done at wharves and in railway stations, but there is also considerable 

 in ships' holds, especially to perishable produce brought from warm 

 latitudes. . Much of this may be prevented by the use of rat-proof 

 cages at the docks, by the careful fumigation of seagoing vessels at 

 the end of each voyage, and by the frequent fumigation of vessels in 

 coastwise trade ; but still more by replacing old and decrepit wharves 

 and station platforms with modern ones built of concrete. 



Where cargoes are being loaded or unloaded at wharves or depots, 

 food liable to attack by rats may be temporarily safeguarded by be- 

 ing placed in rat-proof cages, or pounds, constructed of wire netting. 

 Wooden boxes containing reserve food held in depots for a consider- 

 able time or intended for shipment by sea may be made rat-proof by 

 light coverings of metal along the angles. This plan has long been in 

 use to protect naval stores on ships and in warehouses. It is based 

 on the fact that rats do not gnaw the plane surfaces of hard materials, 

 but attack doors, furniture, and boxes at the angles only. 



Packing houses. — Packing houses and abattoirs are often sources 

 from which rats secure subsistence, especially where meats are pre- 

 pared for market in old buildings. In old-style cooling rooms Avitli 

 double walls of w^ood and sawdust insulation, always a source of 

 annoyance because of rat infestation, the utmost vigilance is required 

 to prevent serious loss of meat jiroducts. On the other hand, packing 

 houses with modern construction and sanitary devices have no trouble 

 from rats or mice. 



Garbage and waste. — Since much of the food of rats consists of 

 garbage and other w^aste materials, it is not enough to bar the animals 

 from markets, granaries, warehouses, and pri\'ate food stores. Gar- 

 bage and offal of all kinds must be so dispcfsed of that rats can not 

 obtain them. 



In cities and towms an efficient system of garbage collection and 

 disposal should be established by ordinances. Waste from markets, 

 hotels, cafes, and households should be collected in covered metal 

 receptacles and frequently emptied. Garbage should never be 

 dumped in or near towns, but should be utilized or promptly de- 

 stroyed by fire. 



Rats find abundant food in country slaughterhouses ; reform in the 

 management of these is badly needed. Such places are centers of rat 

 propagation. It is a common practice to leave offal of slaughtered 

 animals to be eaten by rats and swine, and this is the chief means of 

 perpetuating trichinae in pork. The law should require that offal be 

 promptly cremated or otherwise disposed of. Country slaughter- 



