Great Falls weekly tribune., 1895-05-03
THE HORN FLY.

An agricultural professor writes:

All AGRICULTURAL professor WTlLeS.
''Tho flies suck blood from the cattle
producing irritation and worry to such
an extent as to cause a decrease in milk
from one-third to one-half 1t has been
our observation that dark cOlored cattle
are moro subject to attack from the
hornfly than are cattle of a lighter col
or, one often seeing white and a black
COW standing side by side where the
former will be nearly exempt from at
tack by the flies, while the latter will
be covered with them. Some writers
claim that the thin skinned animals are
most attacked, but this has not been
our observation, color having moro to
do with the attack than has anything
''The best application to kill tho flies
is kerosene emulsion. In 1892 VIC ex-
perimented quito successfully in this
line. The milk emulsion was used,
made by mixing thoroughly one part Of
slightly sour milk with two parts Of
kerosene and then diluting this with l2
to Is parts Of water. The emulsion was
applied to the animals at milking time
ty means OF a lnapsack spraycr, direct
ing the spray directly upon the flies as
much as possible, After three applica-
tiOns in a5 many days the flies were
killed out ~ that tioy were not again
numerous until nearly three weeks
later. In 1899 the emulsion remedy was
again tried, but not with as favorable
results. The crude cottonsecd Oil and
tar nlixture being SO cheap and so easily
applied, we have adopted this method of
| treatment as the best. y
Tho New England Farmer recon-
mcnds also q kerosene emulsion and
says:
Kerosene as an insectici0o kills by
contact and is especially appropriate
for lice red spiders and insects OF that
class. All insect immersed in kerosene
is at once deprived Of life, and it Is dis
agreeable to other insects oven whore ii
does not kill Them
| by finely dividing it into mist or dew
it still retains its power without endan-
gering THE tonler plants or the skins Of
animals This division is brought about
by cmulsifying the kerosene. For this
purpose Professor Fornald says; Dis
solve half Il pound Of yellow bar soap
in gallon of watur. Whom it hoilS,
pour this solution into a vessel with ,
gallons Of kerosene. Mix the Whol
with some force This process Of hIl&-
ing is best done by means of a force
pump by pumping the mixture back in
to itself. In from three to five minutes
! il boc0,0ce@ = white creamy emulsion and
Will remaiH in this condition several
days, especially if kop5 III a cool place, -
A quart 0t this compound added to
9 80 IL quarts Of watcr and well stirred
will still keep the form of an emulsion
and give the right proportion of kero-
seno to water FOR destroying insects
without injuring either plants or ami
mails.
This emulsion is valuable for destroy
ing vcrlnin in domestic animals and
also in henhouses. When sprayed upon
COWS just before milking in the summer,
there will be no trouble with the kick
ing at flies or being uneasy through the
tormonting Of these pests.
All emulsion which tho government
approves has 66 per cent kerosene ano
81 per cent strong soap suds or sou,
milk. The department also recommends
using whale oil soap.
ID. A. knecland of EermonJ has alsC
his way of destroying the fly and drOp>
into poetry over it as follows: y reaC
in your good paper how the dairy farmer
tries all ways in vain to euchre thusr
determined Texas flies. Now, I've tricC