Ogden Daily Standard | 1917-11-28 | Page 4 | What the Rat Can Do in Ogden

WHAT THE RAT CAN DO IN OGDEN So far there has been no extensive campaign to keep down the rats which have Invaded Ogden In the past year. The rodents are recognized by competent com-petent authorities as more destructive than any other pests to which a community com-munity can be subjected. In the National Geographic Magazine Maga-zine for July Is an article. on tho rat which is a warning to any place which allows the rodents to go on multiplying multiply-ing without attempting any preventive measure. The history of the brown rat, says the magazine, is an extraordinary one, unequaled by that of any other mammal. mam-mal. It was unknown in Europe until 1727, or less than fifty years prior to our declaration of independence, when vast hordes of them swam the Volga river. A year or two later it arrived in England on ships from tho Orient Now nearly all parts of tho world have the wharf rat, which averages 13 inches In length and weighs 1 pounds. The rats have from three to twelve litters a year, each with six to more than 20 young, the averago being 10. The young begin to breed whou loss than three months old. At this rato, Ogden should havo an army of rats within two years. A pair of rats can produce 120 young in a year. Tho first born, taking tho averago of 10, will,. within four months after birth, bring forth 50 and within the next eight months they can produce pro-duce -100. Now begin to figure tho number this one family will give birth to in the first year. Geometrical progression pro-gression will be necessary. oo