Show FARM BUILDINGS MADE RAT PROOF large quantities of grain foodstuffs and poultry destroyed by rodents USE CEMENT IN foundations i saving in feed and food products prodoc t a will more than repay farmers for expense of construction exclude sparrows IF f prepared by the united states department of agriculture because of the large quantities of 0 grain poultry and foodstuffs destroyed by rats and mice on farms it will ray pay farmers well to rat proof their buildings says a farmers bulletin house bouse rats and mice alice recently issued by the lie united states department of agriculture Gra granaries narles corncribs corn cribs and poultry houses may tie be made rat proof by a liberal use of cement in the foundations and floors or the floors may be of wood resting upon concrete inverted pans unsatisfactory the common practice of setting corncribs corn cribs on posts with inverted pans it the top often falls to exclude rats because the posts are not high elou enough il to place the lower cracks of the the structure beyond roach reach of the animals As rats are arc excellent jumpers the posts post should be tall enough to prevent the animals from obtaining a foothold nt at any place within three feet of the ground A crib built in n this his way however Is not very satisfactory for a rat proof crib a well drained site should be chosen tho the outer walls laid in cement should be sunk about 20 inches into the ground the space within vit liln the walls should be grouted thoroughly with cement and broken brohen stone find and finished with rich concrete for a floor upon tills this the structure may be built even the walls of the crib may be of concrete corn will NOR not mold in contact with them provided there is a good ventilation and the roof Is watertight water tight wire netting for cribs however there are cheaper ways of excluding rats from either new or old corner corncribs corn cribs lbs rats mice and sparrows ams 0 putting in cement foundation may be kept out effectually by the use of either an inner or an outer covering of galvanized wire netting of half inch biesh and heavy enough to resist the teeth of the rats the netting in common use in screening cellar windows Is suitable for covering or lining cribs complete working drawings for a practical rat proof corncrib may be obtained from froin the office of public roads and rural engineering of the department |