You must understand that if you put a Rat and a ferret together in a tub the ferret would kill the Rat in nine cases out of ten, the nature of the Rat being to get away from the ferret if possible; but if it cannot it will fight, and I think a Rat, for its size, is of a very vicious nature, for I have often seen when trying a puppy at killing a Rat in a pit, that a game Rat will run the puppy all round the pit.  The best way to try a pup to kill a Rat is to draw the teeth of the first Rat it secures for sometimes if a pup gets a severe bite from a Rat it will never look at another.  It is a very bad plan to let a pup play with a Rat too much, for this causes the pup never to put a hard mouth on the Rat.  When this latter occurs it is the best plan not to allow the same pup to see another Rat until it is a month or two older.  If you will take care and trouble with a pup you can bring it up to your own liking, and to do anything you want.  I have worked seven years with a curly-coated retriever bitch, and when ferreting a brook she would stand in the water and catch the Rats that escaped from the nets into the brook and bring them to me alive in her mouth.  I have sold hundreds of Rats she has caught in this manner, and to show you how the dogs can be brought up with the ferrets I need only mention that this bitch would lie down and let two ferrets kill a Rat on the curly coat of her back.

Farmers know too well of the many restless nights the cows and horses experience through Rats.  I have seen when trapping all night at a farm the Rats running over the cows and horses whilst sleeping:  and when horses have been working in the field all day they want better rest in the night.  I have known when farmers would not let the Rat-catcher ferret their buildings gratis, simply because they have a few hens sitting.  They don’t consider that when the hens have hatched the eggs the Rats will take the chickens.  Whenever a farmer has refused to let me ferret at his farm I have passed that farm ever afterwards.  To show you the different dispositions of farmers I have met, I may mention that when once ferreting at a farm, we caught nine rats and lost the ferret, and two days afterwards the ferret was found on the farm, and I sent for it, but the farmer demanded two shillings of me for the ferret’s keep.  This same man I may add farmed about two hundred acres.

Of course, there are other farmers just the opposite, who will not only pay you for your trouble, but take great interest in helping you to catch the Rats.  I relate these facts and incidents to show you the contrast in the disposition of different people one meets in this business.