Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-12
Tho Horn Fly.
SrAuNToN, Va.

To ne Editor Of Ire Dispdtch:
Please state in your next issue what il
the best remedy for the small fly that
annoy cattle. think they are called the
horn fly, and they have only appeared in
the last few years In this section. and
obligo. COWBOY.
We quote from a pamphlet on the sub
ject issued by the United States Depart
meut Of Agriculture
AMOUNT OF DAMAGE.
The amount of damage done by the fiy
has been exaggerated by some and under
estimated by others. We have heard
many rumOrs OF the death of animals from
its attacks, but have been unable TO sub
stantiate q single case. We believe that
the flies alone will never cause the death
Of an animal. They reduce the condition
OF stock TO a considerable extent, and
in the case of mich cows the yield OF milk
Is reduced from one fourth TO one half. IL
is our opinion that their bites seldom even
produce sores by themselves, although we
have seen q number of cases. where large
sores had been made by the cattle rubbing
themselves against trees and fences in an
endeayor TO allay the irritation caused by
the bites: or. in spots where they could
not rub. by licking constantly with the
tongue. az about the bag and on the INSIDE
Of the hind thighs A sore once started in
this way will increase with the continued
irritation by the flies. and will be difficult
TO heal. Those who underestimate the
damage believe that the flies do not suck
blood. but such persons have doubtless
watched the flies only upon the horns OF
elsewhere in their resting position when
the beak IL not inserted. or have caught
them and crushed them when their bodies
contained little blood. In reality the flies
suck considerable amount of blood,
however. and il * their only nourishment.
If captured and crushed at the right time
the most skeptical individual Will be con-
WINGED.
REMEDIES.
Preventive Applications. Almost any greasy
substance will keep the flies away for sew
eral days. A number OF experiments were
tried IN the field with the result that train
oil alone and train-oIl with little sulphur
or carbolic acid added will keep the flies
away for from five to six days. while with
"A small proportion Of carboiic acid 1t Will
nave healing effect upon sores which
may have formed. Train-OIl should not
cost more than from 80 to 70 cents per gal
Ion, and gallon will anoint number OF
animals. Common axle-grease costing ~
cents per box will answer nearly as well,
and this substance has been extensively
and successfully used by Mr.. William
johnson, a large stock-dealer nj Warren
ton. Va Tallow has also been used to
good advantage. The practice of smcarlng
the horns with pine or coal-tar simply re-
pels them from these parts. Traln-oil or
ish-Oil seems to be more lasting in is eff
fects than any other of the substances
used.
Applications 10 Destroy he Fy.-A great
deal has been said during the summer con-
corning the merits of proprietary sub
stance consisting manly of tobacco-dust
and creosote. We are convinced
that this substance has considerable merit
as an insecticidc. and know from expert
ence that it will kill many of tho flies
when 1t touches them, although they die
slowly and few may recover. The sub
stance costs % cents per pound, and 1t IS
not lasting IN its effects. Where II is
busted through the hair the flies on alight-
ing will not remain long enough to bite.
but two days later. according 10 our eX-
perience, they are again present In as great
numbers as before. spray of kerosene
emulsion directed upon COW would Kill
the flies quite Is surely and would be
cheaper. but we do not advise an attempt
TO reduce the numbers OF the pest 10y ac-
tually killing the flies.
Ho,o 10 Destroy ne EdriGS'dges. Throwing
q spadeful of lime upon IA cow-dung will
destroy the larv.e which are living III 1t,
and as III almost every pasture there are
some one or two spots where the cattle
preferably congregate during the heat OF
the day, the dung which contains most OF
the Larvae will consequently be more or
less together and easy TO treat a once. II
the evil should increase, therefore, 1T Will
well pay "A stOck-raiser to start n load OF
lime through his field occasionally, par
ticularly in Nav or June. rs every Larvae
killed then represents the death of very
many flies during August. Weteel certain
that this course will he found IN many
cases practical and of great avail, and will
often be an advantage to the pasture be-
sides.
OTnIR FLIES REARED FROM Cow-DUNG.
Our observations on the lifc-histOry of
the horn fly have been greatly hlndered
and rendered difficult by the fact that
fresh cow-dung is the indus for a number
of species of diptera, some OF about tho
same size and general appearance. We
have, in fact. chiefly this summer reared
no less than twenty distinct species of
flies from horse and dung, mainly
from the latter, and six species of parasitic
insects. We shall give these some con-
sideration in our final article III the an
nual report. but cannot elaborate here.
The plan finally adopted to secure tho
of the hematoOlas was to remove
the eggs from the surface of the dung and
place them with dung which was absO-
iutely fresh and collected practically a 1t
fell from the COW. Even in this way very
great care was necessary TO prevent the oc-
currence of on her SDecics,