Evening journal., 1903-10-27
News and Views Of Women /,
Plague of Flies

August. September and October are the
months when flies are most abundant,
and In many localities November can be
added to the list. Flies, dt has been con-
cluslvely proved, are the surest means OF
carrying disease. They are even worse
than ordinary house vermin, because
ahey ny from place to place. and after
alghting on filthy places, where rlhere are
disease germs. or on patients who have
contagious diseases, they enter houses Of
perfect cleanliness and carry impurities
with them.
Flies are also the hardest kind of in
sects to get rid Of. After the housewife
has spent ten minutes whlsking them out
some careless person enters the kitchen
and accidentally leaves open the screen
door. In five minutes the room is
filed with them again, and the housekeep-
er has to do the work all over again.
Even the best housekeepers VIII weary
of the effort and fall into habits Of neg
lect out Of sheer despair of ever being
able to accomplish anything. panticu-
iarly if they are aroubled with untdy
neighhors. Where there are no suen
neghbors and everything Is kept in
spotless order. no garbage buckets left
epen OF bits Of food and decay9ng veg
etabies exposed 1t IS comparatively
easy To keep a house free from flies.
A dy is a natural scavenger. and will
not stay long where ne has nothing to
feed on. In a room where cooking IS
done like the kitchen. and food has TO
stand a few minutes. care should be
takea 10 cover ft. on an old New Eng
land farm the mistress Of the house Is
It.l fst
and set she never has screens st the win
dows although she leaves them wide
open in warm weather to let In the fresh
air The secret she saysis that she never
leaves anything around even for a few
minutes to attract flies. All the premises
Of the farm are kept In perfect clean
iness. The stables and barns are at a
distance. and all drains and refuse places
are regularly dis.nfected.
In the frosty nights Of October and
November the flies on the walls and
ceilings will be numbod by the cold. and
If the housewife be alert esough. she can
sweep them off and destroy them before
the fires are made.
An ingenious farmers wife who sue
ceeds in keeping the files out of her l1itch-
en- says that she makes a long wad Of
newspapers and slashes the edges half
way down. She holds the unslasheo
ends IN her hand and wihisks out flies
with the other. She says 81 is surprising
how quickly the flies will be driven out.
The noise Of the rafting strips OF paper.
she claims, helps to do n as well as the
whisking. Whether this be true OF not,
this whisk IS a very effective one, and
not a fly viii be found in the room after
1t has been energe1cally used.
Fly papes is generally considered by
people Of refinement to be disgusting,
and Is avoided. II is also known to
draw more flies TO BIS vicinity than It
ever kills. especially n an outside win
dow OF door be left open.
The housewife should get completely
rid Of an flies at this season, before the
FIRE 'n the furnace is started. or she will
have them with her an winter the warm
air Of the furnace keeping them alive and
thriving.
When the fall housecleaning comes OF
every fly speck should be washed of from
woodwork or furniture. especially If There
has been any contagious disease in the
neighborhood.