The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-04

A Kentucky farmer Is said to have pa
.er.teza machine Tor catching flies fror,
the backs OF cattle. but the idea Of !, K
free fer whoever chooses 20 apply fl enf
{. Is 80 simple that the wonder is nobody
has ever thought OF 1t before MANY
plans have been suggested, among others
CLEANLINESS in the farm yard. dashins
little preparation on those parts OF she
COW which cannot be reached ny horns
tongue or tail, and even mesquite netting
Ia sometimes given out TO cows Of high
degree.
The Kentucky farmer who invented this
fly catcher could not have come 10 rhs
idea in any ordinary way, and II is no.
wide OF the mark TO assume that he ma
have first stimulated flow OF blood
through his brain by sufficient draught
OF a kentackisn's usual refreshrnant.
then lain down in some Of his own .nirlst-
able blue grass and thought on, the Won
derful contrivance in bourbon dream.
The fly catcher is covered passage
way. through which the infested animal
passage way is 10 be six feet or three
miles long. but probably this is left 10
the taste and acreage of the farmer If
his COW has 10 be kept in a five-acre LOT,
he could probably make a coil of the pas
sage or a maze. and let the animal cover
the greatest distance IN the least possible
area A few fee: from the entrance there
Is a glass dome arranged as q fly trap.
and beyond this the passage way is dark
The animal walks through, and t-,st be-
fore entering the darkest part a set CT
brushes sweep off the flies. (which natur-
ally arise to the light of the trap above"
The one weak spot we see In this other
wise perfect fly catcher is that flies never
naturally go where they are planned to
go. but we might suggest that II there is
aEyunwillingness manifested on their part
10 enter the glass dome 1T might be made
more attractive by having electric lamps
SO arranged as to form the letters of wei
come home" or Come fly with me and
be my BRIDE" or any other motto which
is usually responded to. The plan of the
author OF this dream In tly catchers is
that when the flies rise to the light OF
the trap above they will be safely held
there, while the animal passes out the
other side iy-free. 1t then takes UP a
new collection and walks around to the
entrance, and II the cow has any doubt
about which end TO enter the farmer may
simplify the matter by FASTING over one
end Barnums famous legend 'egress.''
The Kentucky farmer says that cows
soon learn the value Of the machine, and
are wise enough to walk through it IF
their own accord when the flies begin to
bite. 1t will be seen from this simple con-
trivance how easy farming is if n man
will only think. Here We have been an
noyed by having flies IN milk all these
years when they could have been skinned
off the back of the COW before the milk
was laid with no more effort than lit
tls thinking and long tunnel with q
glass dome.
An unsophisticate1 man who lives n
the city all the tine aid cannot tell curds
from whey or good sweet ranch butter
thought of this. If he had been asked
how to keep flies off cow ne probably
would have proposed tying feather
buster on each horn and another on her
tail. Verify, the man in the city does not
know everything.