Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-05-12

A short time since we published, or
givean account taken from Memphis
and other papers, that the loss to plant
ers in West Tennessee was heavy. by
their work stock being killed by bur,
falo gnats, aud in the Nashville Union
and american of Saturday last, we see
taken from the Somerville Falcon, of
April 20, 1875, which says, last Friday
millions of buffalo gnats made their
appearance very suddenly in Fayette
county, and up to this Time, Monday
evening, 1t is estimated that between
300 and 500 horses aud mules have
been killed by them-Iud IN this
humber We publish communication
from citizen OF this place now, but,
who planted on the Mississippi river
below, aud above Memphis, Tennessee,
for about II or IA years before the war,
and never lost "A siugle mule or horse
by being killed 10y buffalo gnats, and
who says land he generally does what
he says be will dU,) he will insure
against buffalo gnats provided his in
structions are complied with,) from
one to 10000 work horses or mules al
full value for the pitiful sum of 5 dol-
lars each, to be paid after the gnats
leave. He will Cive good security for
his promise, and would require the
same in every and all instances.
To the Editors Of the Chronicle:
In your good and widely circulated
paper, / saw (taken from Memphis
and other papers) that large numbers
of mules and other work animals had
been killed by buffalo gnsts, and |
think it cruel that any man would al
low his mules and horses killed by the
nasty little things.
In lS45, | was selling goods in
Helena, Arkansas, and concluded to
buy a plantation, which | did three
miles below, for myself and two older
brothers, and planted there about ten
or twelve years, and the last six years
of the time we owned aud worked fifty
men, women, boys and girls, which
required from thirty to forty mules,
which number we had and good
ones, too, and from the time We
started until we sold our prop
erty never lost one animal by buffalo
gnats, and as some one might
have curiosity enough to ask how we
prevented it, will simply say that the
thing, or to prevent death, is easy and
cheap, and presume and think the
gnats were as numerous aud bad in
my days as anywhere this year. The
way we managed was this: A short
| time before the little creatures were
looked for (for, when they did come,
they came as suddenly as the wind did
Saturday last that destroyed the county
bridge across the river at this place,
We got tar and old grease, or fish oil,
and put in enough tar to make the
grease stick, and every morning when
the plough hands went to the field
made each one carry a small bucket
containing the grease and tar, so
that in the event the gnats made
their appearance (Which they were
liable to do at any moment).
the moment they did every colored
man or boy stopped his mule and com
menced greasing, first the nostrils and
face, as there is where the fun, to
gnats, but death TO mules, commences.
They first make for the mule or horses
nostrils, and unless you are there with
grease as quick as they go in, and APP
ply it, they will keep going in until
they get so thick that the animal can
not breathe, and when that time ar
rives, or very soon after, Mr.. Mule has
to hand in his checks-leave, and go
where he is not expected or required
to pull the wagon or plough. Be
sides greasing the nostrils and face OF
the animal with something that smells
strong, and badly, land it has to be
both, grease all over, but particularly
between fore legs, and all over the bel.
ly-and by repeating the dose every
day, whilst the gnats remained, (Which
would be from two to three weeks, il
the simple reason we never lost q
single animal in the eight or ten years
we planted. This is written by one
who is now and has been for eight
years trying to make an honest living
in the city of Knoxville, and If any
one wants to know who he is, ask the
editor of this paper, who is authorized
and will tell you his name. NJ. II.