Having had a long experience in Manchester I am quite sure of this. As
an instance, I remember a private house where I was engaged catching Rats
under a floor with ferrets. I went as far as possible on my belly under
the floor with two candles in my hands, and I saw the ferret kill a large
bitch Rat, about six yards from me against a wall, where neither the dog
nor myself could get at it. I finished the job and made out my bill for
my services, but in about two or three weeks after they again sent for
me, declaring they could not stay in the sitting-room on account of the
smell that arose from beneath the flooring boards. They had in
consequence to send for a joiner; and as I knew the exact spot where the
Rat was killed I ordered him to take up the floor boards just where the
dead Rat lay, and the stench that arose from the decomposed Rodent was
bad in the extreme. I disinfected the place, and I was never sent for
again. This was under a cold floor, and it is much worse where there is
any heat.

Now to deal with the different methods of catching Rats. The best way,
in my opinion, is,



TRAPPING THEM WITH STEEL SPRING TRAPS.


Whenever you are trapping, never on any consideration put bait on the
traps; always put traps in their runs, but you will find Rats are so
cunning that in time, after a few have been caught, they will jump over
the traps, and then you must try another way. A good one is the
following, viz.:--Get a bag of fine, clean sawdust, and mix with it about