The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-11
Protecting stock From FIics

Mechanical appliances for this purpose
are almost wholly confined to use 1pon
work animals, and it Is to the credit Of
the American farmer that the country
harness maker now finds it necessary
10 carry a line of fly nets, they being
Vary generally used says the Practical
Farmer. A pair of good leather team
nets, which a few years ago cost from
$40 to $l2 can now be bought for s. 10
S. and no farmer should consider himself
well equipped for business without them.
We have tried the best cotton nets, and
have no hesitation in saying that good
leather ones are much cheaper in the end,
as with ordinary care and an occasional
oiling, they viii last for years, while the
cotton net we have found considerably tho
worse for a single seasons use. Get nets
with long strings coming well down upou
the horses limbs, as flies are even moro
annoying there than on most other p0r-
tons Of the body. Then with a good re-
pellant to rub on lower limbs and belly,
where nets do not protect, and leather or
cloth protectors to keep bot flies from
dabbing up against lower jaw, more work
can be done better and with less labor and
worry for team and driver. In view Of
those facts 1t seems strange that some
will continue to thrash along from year
to year with animals unprotected. 1t
hardly seems right in these days for a
man VINO makes no effort in this direc-
ton, to whip or jerk the faithful horse
for fighting flies or kick the COW for
switching him in the face while milking,
1t is cruel and doesn't pay in the least.
The only thoroughly effective protection
from bot fly annoyance that we have used
Is a piece of leather or cloth at least a
foot wide al upper end, half wide at
lower, and long enough to reach from
throat latch well down under the chin.
l -. IL. 4
lower light strap which buckles into
bit rings. Leather is better than cloth.
being much more durable and will keep
its place well down under chin, where
the flies often strike when jaws only are
projected. An old boot jack of good
length is just the thing. Every one has
noticed how horses in pasture will az
times jerk their heads, strike and, IL
possible throw the head over a mate and
rub the jaw, often running at full speed
across the field an their efforts to escape
this little tormentor. Last summer ws
had a pair of horses in pasture for three
months, and before turning them QUE
fitted their halters with the leather pro-
tectors, riveting upper end to strap that
passes under throat and lower end TO
chin strap of halter on inside. 1t was
great success. During the heat of the
day in July and August the female bot
fly is very active and persistent in her
efforts TO deposit eggs upon the mars upon
those parts of the body must accessible
to the animals mouth. The eggs soon
hatch and the young larvae depend upon
crawling or being licked into the mouth.
thence pass to the stomach, where they
fasten upon the lining of that organ and
the horse has bots, whether they ever
injure 1t in any way or not. Often the horse
in scratching, viii remove and swallow
many of the eggs or "nits." These sticE
so tightly to the hairs that 1t is very diff
ficult to remove them, but most of them
may be destroyed by brushing very light
ly with pure kerosene every few days, at
least.