Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 269, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1918 — American Farmers Should Follow Scotland’s Plan to Eliminate Food-Eating Rats [ARTICLE]

American Farmers Should Follow Scotland’s Plan to Eliminate Food-Eating Rats

The canny Scots of West Perth-' shire district are living up to their reputation. They have organized in an active campaign to exterminate rats and save the food and property which they waste. They have demonstrated that it is cheaper to kill than to feed rats. According to a report from the American consul at Dundee, wldch has just been received by the United States department of agriculture, a campaign to exterminate rats in the district mentioned, for which $1,479.41 was appropriated, resulted last year in the killing of 100,000 rats. The board of agriculture appropriated $486.65 for the campaign. It is said that one rat in the course of 12 months caused damage estimated at $2.43, and as there were approximately two rats to the acre, the amount of damage done was equivalent to the average amount of rent paid by the tenants of West Perthshire. The campaign has been so successful and the people "so pleased with the results that community co-operation to exterminate rats is to be continued another year, according to the report. American farmers, who have long suffered losses from these food raiders, should follow the example set by this district and organize community campaigns to get rid of rats. In many sections of this country where similar campaigns have been conducted results always have been gratifying.