410 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 May, 1899. 
front that will carry an inch of timber freely. On top side of log bore a 3-inch 
hole; this carries the upright forked stick seen in our illustration. This forked 
stick carries in its turn a light horizontal stick, on front end of which is hung 
the door, said door being a piece of pine board cut the required length and 
hung so as to catch the upper edge of log while suspended in the groove. 
Now bore another 3-inch hole right into the log pretty low down on one 
side ; next make a treadle like a miniature cricket bat, with two or three 
notches cut in the handle (Fig. 3), and put this inside the log with the notched 
handle through the hole, and projecting, say, 14 inch. Cut a little notch with 
a knife in the side of the log 1 inch or so above the hole where the treadle 
projects, taking care to have the flat side of the notch on top to give a 
catch. Then make a little “trigger,” slightly chisel-pointed in the ends, to 
catch in between a notch in the handle of your treadle and the notch in the log, 
Take a piece of string of the’ necessary length, tie one end round the trigger 
and the other round the back end of the horizontal stick on which the door is 
hung, and your trap is set. Close in the back end of trap with rather fine wire 
netting doubled ; I say doubled for the reason that I have known kangaroo rats 
chew asingle thickness through, and so squeeze their way out. Bait a few 
pieces of cut sweet potato or a few grains of maize, just putting one or two 
on the ground outside, and some more from the entrance right into the trap, 
and beyond the treadle. Once an animal gets in after the bait he is sure to 
disturb the treadle, when the trigger is at once freed, and the door slides down, 
and you have him. With this style of trap I have caught hundreds of animals 
of various kinds; and the beauty of it is, the log looks so natural and simple 
that animals are not frightened. After a few animals have been trapped the 
log gets well “ flavoured,” and this makes further captures all the easier. 
Last summer and autumn I caught nearly thirty kangaroo rats in one of 
these traps in my own sweet potatoes. 
QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 
A NEw science master, Mr. Peter Sutherland, B.A., has been‘appointed to the 
Agricultural College, vice Mr. H. Schmidt, who lately resigned his appointment. 
Mr. Sutherland has an excellent record, and should be able to do good service 
in his new position. A Ballarat man, he attended the Ballarat College, subse- 
quently proceeding to the Melbourne University. He afterwards took his B.A. 
degree at the Sydney University, and for 7 years followed the teaching 
profession. or the next 7 years he was employed at the Longerenong College, 
which was closed at the beginning of 1898, in consequence, it was stated, of a 
water famine. His last appointment was that of mathematical and science 
master at Brunswick College. Mr. Sutherland bas already taken up his duties 
at the Gatton College. 
WESTERN AUSTRALIAN WHEAT HARVEST. 
Tue total yield of wheat in Western Australia last harvest has been 857,362 
bushels, with an average return of 11°6 bushels per acre. In the previous 
year the yield reached 408,515 bushels, averaging 10°5 bushels per acre. The 
present harvest will require to be supplemented for the colony’s requirements 
by 528,388 bushels, or an equivalent in flour. 
CATS V. RABBITS. 
Iv is said that the Stock Department of Western Australia has in view the 
distribution of several hundred cats for the purpose of keeping down the 
rabbits. ‘Ihe animals will be liberated between Eyre and a point 50 miles 
west of Israclite Bay. This appears to be rather a doubtful experiment. 
Cats are not too fond of rabbits, and, even if they did exterminate the rabbits, 
how are the wild cats to be exterminated afterwards? 
