The midland journal., 1889-08-16
x. o. Dust Sure Death to Texes flies
and all other Cattle ana Horse
flies

We extract the following valuable
information from an article prepared
tor the Country Gentleman by Prof.
Jno. B, Smith of Rutgers College.
1t would be well for persons who
have the care of horses to try the REM
edy on the common horse fly which is
so annoying to the animals.
THE REMEDY.
A great variety of materials have
been tried, Principally in the form Of
repellants like tar, fish oil, paint, and
the like. These have all proved more
or less unsatisfactory, and yet they
were the only things that proved even
a palliative. The repellants seem to
lose their efficiency very rapidly, and
after all simply shifted little the
point of attack. / therefore set out
to find material that would, if pos
sible, kill by contact, be harmless to
animals, and cheap and reasonably
permanent. OF course this excluded a
great bulk of all the insecticides on the
market. Pyrethrum would have been
satisfactory had it lasting qualities, but
both its cost and the rapidity with
which it lost its strength were obiec
tionabie. was at the time trying the
effect of some tobacco powders upon
insects, and especially Of preparation
called tx. O. Dust" by the manufac-
turers. / had found this very effective
on smooth bodied coleopterous larvae,
and concluded to try it on diptera. A
horse-fy confined with it exhibited the
greatest repugnance, and soon exhibit
ed unmistakable symptoms of paralysis.
Other trials with different species gave
variable results. all resulting in death,
or at least paralysis, after brief period.
AS l was unable to obtain living speci.
mems of the II. cornicold, secured a
lot Of the Stomorys calcitrans, its near
ally, and experimental with these.
The experiments were made by busting
a very small quantity Of the powder
over the bottom OF a large bottle with a
narrow neck. The neck was not stop
pered, and the flies were simply intro
duced in the bottle, and not in any way
covered with the powder. They came
into contact with it by walking on it,
found at once that iStomorys was
vastly more sensitive than Musca, and
that while five minutes would paralyze
,Stomoays beyond recovery, .Musca do
mestica did not succumb for an hour
and the females usually recovered then
Upon this l concluded to send pack
age to Judge Forsyth of Penberton
New Jersey, for trial, in the hope tina,
it might act even more promptly on
the smaller species. The result l viii
give in the judges own words: "Your
very valuable letter was received yes
terday morning, and the box of powde,
came last night by express. We used
the powder this morning on large
number of my cows, although only q
small quantity of it. 1t is instant
death to the little black rascals. II
can be put on with pepper-box, OF
dusting box, and is sure death Instantly
Will it,afect the cows in any way!
Please let me know what the cost of il
is. l want large lot right away,
This powder will soon be, demand.
Please let me hear from you as soon as
possible about furnishing me with more,
I never saw an experiment have such
an effect before in my life, The flies
cannot live where it is an instant. You
need not try anything else"
A preliminary test of X. O. Dust,
showed no arsenic or mineral poisons,
but showed tobacco and carbolic acid
with an inorganic mixture of an unde-
termined non.poisonous substance. 1t
is therefore safe to say that it will not
prove injurious to cattle even if they
lick it. 1t should be rather thoroughly
applied so as to get the hair we'll dust
ed. No stomorys or hematoJia, can
stand this long enough to puncture the
skin Of the cattle. 1t would mean
death to them. The owder does not
lose strength by exposure.
After testing this X o. Dust, 1 tried
"Brill's Vermin Exterminator' and
"Brilps Moth Powder" the base Of
which is tobacco with the addition of
an aromatic oil, probably oil of cedar.
I find that the effect on flies is quite
similar to that of X. o. Dust, though
not quite as rapid.
Y. 0. Dust is manufactured in Balti
more. Md. by the Insecticide Mfg Co \,