Morning journal and courier., 1889-09-24

shoulders, or rather back we're accustomed to rest many unexplained thines, Fido was sent into the country, but the aeas did not accom- pany him, not by long chalk. Those heas were of the business kind and have not vast ed any time mourning over the departure of Fido, but have just settled down 10 the duties of their profession, and are not neg leoting any opportunities.
 Whenever and wherever they see an open- ing they take an advantage of 1t. Up at my house. which is in Roxbury, they are an un- known quantity. A funny thing about the whole bueiness is that my neighbors have all been troubled more or less in the same way. Each has kept the thing secret, having no idea of the extent of the insects visitation. Now, however, the cat, or rather flea, is out of the bag, and if don't succeed in finding @ remedy you will have chance to report meeting up my way. The other day read in the Herald that sweet fern would disperse feas, and that is what I was going after when you stopped me. If sweet fern is any good am going to get up sweet fern trust, gather all of the plants that I can, and corn- CT the market. There's millions in it, as John T. Raymond used to say. We'll, duty calls, and in the interest of suffering human. ity I must go" and, like vision, he contin- ued his flight, leaving the Herald man in 6 vestigation, with the following results: For several months past there has been an inn mense quantity of these troublesome insects in this city. Apparently they have come to us from Cambridge, where they were first noticed some time ago. In turn they have vis ited South end, North end and even East Bos- ton, and now complaints are coming in from the West end and Roxbury. What to do is @ question that many are at present trying to answer. In addition to the remedy suggest ed in the Herald some days ago verse from "Tusser" will, perhaps, be of use. It is as fol- lows:
 While wormwood hath seed get handful or twaine, Where chamber is sweeped and wormwood IS
 strewn,
 No flea for his life dare abide to be known.
 The flea is to be found in all parts of the world. and lives by sucking the blood of man, beast and fowl. He is found wherever sand and dust accumulate, and in cracks of floors and refuse heaps. They may take ref uee in beds wherever cleanliness is neglected. In some countries they are so abundant as to be an intolerable nuisance to residents and travellers. Especially is this so in Australia and Italy and other countries of southern Europe, where general warmth and dryness encourage the growth of this insect to an ex- tent against which the precautions of the housewife are unavailing. The female flea Is somewhat larger than the male, but the sexes are otherwise similar. The head of the flea is small and compressed, rounded above, the eyes being at the sides. The mouth has two lancet-like mandibles, the maxillss being rep resented by two concave scales, both forming a sucktoral beak, with slender, bristlelike tongue, the whole being enclosed between two three -jointed plates, while the body is covered with tough integment. As is well known, the flea is powerful and active. The flea undergoes complete metamorphosis. The female lays about dozen eggs, white in color, the larva being worm without legs, but none the less lively. When about to change into pupa it incloses itself in lit tie silk cocoon and emerges perfect flea, full ly equipped for business. Cleanliness and carefulness are the principal means to be used to keep out these pests, but when these precautions are found insufficient, certain aromatic plants should be employed, such as those mentioned above, their odors being ap- parentIY detestable to the insect. Whichever remedy is used should be we'll sprinkled about only to be swept up when the pests have dis appeared.