Photograph of Two Girls Holding Dead Rats
1928
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In 1928 several counties in Arkansas were plagued by a rat infestation, resulting in heavy losses for area farmers and businesses. The rodents caused great damage to buildings storing grain and ruined entire fields of crops such as corn. In the Department of Agriculture Extension Service’s Annual Narrative and Statistical Report for Mississippi County, Arkansas it was reported that the United States Bureau of Biological Survey calculated the cost of destruction per rat at $1.87 per year. The rising costs urged the County Extension Services to work with local organizations, school boards and individuals to initiate rat killing campaigns. The most successful rat killing campaigns were those that enlisted the help of school children. In Miller County, the Chamber of Commerce backed the campaign by providing prizes for participants. The first place prizes in each category included: $50.00 in books for the schools, a Winchester Repeatin’ Rifle worth $22.50 for the boys, and a $25.00 wrist watch for the girls. The narrative report states, “The rats were killed by any method, their tails cut off and carried to school where the teachers counted them and reported to us each week the totals received.” The Miller County school rat killing campaign lasted six weeks and a total of 50 schools and 649 children participated. The Extension Agent reported that the campaign was a success with an astounding 95,849 rats killed.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Extension Service.
National Archives Identifier: 6017957
Full Citation: Photograph of Two Girls Holding Dead Rats; 1928; Records of the Extension Service. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/photograph-of-two-girls-holding-dead-rats, May 20, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.