262 
THE RAT. 
blotting-paper to drain and dry. It will clot a little in 
drying, but is easily rubbed down fine again. 
For use : — Take a quarter of an ounce of the powder, two 
ounces of lard, and a quarter of an ounce of strong cheese ; 
then mix them well together, and spread the preparation on 
bread like butter. Or, make it up, with fiour or meal, into 
little balls like marbles ; or, what is still better, smear it over 
the rinds of fried bacon, and place it in their holes or tracks. 
He says, the addition of two drops of the oil of anise seed to 
the two ounces of lard seems to be more attractive ; but he 
has not observed this addition to do much for mice. 
CHAPTER XIII. 
PHOSPHORIC POISONS. 
The following recipe for the destruction of rats was com- 
municated to the Council of the Agricultural Society, and is 
highly recommended as the best known means of getting rid 
of these most obnoxious and destructive vermin. It has been 
tried by numerous intelligent persons, and is pronounced to 
be perfectly effectual. 
" Melt hog's lard in a bottle plunged in water heated to 
about 150 degrees of Fahrenheit ; introduce into it half an 
ounce of phosphorus for every pound of lard ; then add a 
pint of proof-spirit or whisky ; cork the bottle firmly after 
its contents have been heated to 150 degrees ; take it at 
the same time out of the water, and agitate smartly, till the 
phosphorus becomes uniformly diffused, forming a milky- 
looking liquid. The liquid, being cooled, will afford a white 
compound of phosphorus and lard, from which the spirit 
spontaneously separates, and may be poured off to be used 
again ; for none of it enters into the combination, but merely 
serves to comminute the phosphorus, and diffuse it in very 
fine particles through the lard. 
" This compound, on being warmed very gently, may be 
poured out into a mixture of wheat fiour and sugar, incor- 
porated therewith, and then flavoured with the oil of 
