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233 Rats, TO Destroy. This subject, not unfrequently, becomes 
one of troublesome importance to the gardener and farmer, and 
more or less so to every housekeeper. In the Journal of the 
Royal Agricultural Society, and the Gardener’s Chronicle, 
several successful methods of either destroying or driving away 
rats, have been published; and attention has been called to the 
employment of phosphorus for the purpose. The 6rst commu- 
nication of its'use was from Captain Carr, residing in Germany; 
who, after mentioning the excessive annoyance he had experi- 
enced, says: — 
“ Several plans were tried for entrapping and poisoning, 
but our ingenuity fell so far short of their marvellous sagacity, 
that no sensible impression was made upon their hosts, not- 
withstanding an unremitting perseverance. However, having 
declared a war of extermination against the whole race, I rejoice 
in being now able to communicate to my agricultural friends 
in England an easy and certain mode of getting rid of this in- 
tolerable nuisance. A little manoeuvring may be judiciously 
used to attract the enemy to a suitable position — suppose any un- 
occupied room in an outhouse, where they particularly abound. 
Here they should be fed with any favourite food — fish or malt 
1 believe they are fond of; and then with, not a preparation of 
arsenic, which they are much too clever to touch, but pills, the 
size of peas, made of equal portions of wheaten flour and pow- 
dered sugar, intimately mixed with one-sixtieth part of that 
weight of dissolved phosphorus — say a quarter of an ounce of 
phosphorus to one pound of flour and sugar; cold water should 
be added to make the mass manageable, and the pills finely 
rolled in dry flour, and kept secluded from light and air. A 
couple of pills may be thrown into each rat-hole, or any quan- 
tity left on a plate in a dark situation, by which the double 
object is obtained of attracting the animals by the luminousuess 
of the phosphorus, and preserving it from too rapid evaporation. 
The pills should be replaced as often as eaten, and that without 
grudging; as, although all the slain may not be found, it may 
be relied on that ‘every bullet has had its billet.’ Still, in a 
day or two, many rats will be seen running to w ater, where they 
die from excessive drinking. No domestic animal appears to 
be in danger of eating this preparation except fowls. Dry wea- 
ther is most favourable to its successful application, as damp, 
2i3. ACCTARICM. 
