The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-09-01
Il
STOCK
Grubs in Cattle.

Last winter a good many of our
readers wrote to us complaining that
tumor-like lunches had appeared
upon the backs of their cattle and
they were at q loss to know what was
the cause, while others on squeezing
the Jumps had found them to contain
large grubs. We explained that these
grubs came from the eggs of the on
MARBLE fly, which are deposited under
the skin during fly time in summer.
mat time is at hand, and we are
writing this article to remind our
readers that MARBLES can be prevented
by attention to the cattle when flies
are most annoying. When the MARBLE
ny comes along the cattle show every
sign of terror and often stampede or
run to water, where they stand all day
rather than Craze where flies can
get at them. 1t seems that the fly
does not care to cross water and we
presume that this is true of some
other insect pests of cattle. Despite
the partial protection given by water
and IL all places where ponds can not
be utilized by cattle MARBLES will be
found on the backs of cattle during
the early months of winter and the
lunches grow rapidly until in spring
tney are of full size and the grub or
maggot escapes, burrows into the
ground, and after a time energies as a
full f1edged fly to carry on the pestifer.
GUS work of it's kind, writes A. S.
Alexander in Farmers Review.
When it is seen chat flies are most
troublesome to cattle on grass we
think it will surely pay to spray their
packs with any one of the commercial
fly repetIels. These applications at.
ford but temporary relief, but may be
used two or three times week, and
viii then have an appreciate effect
IN preventing MARBLE fly attacks. &c
the same end it is we'll to provide
shade for cattle away from barn yards
and feeding yards where manu,e is al
ways an attraction to flies. Left to
themselves it will be observed that
cettle get as far away from these
places as possible during fly time
and seek the shade at a distant par,
OF the pasture where water is 70 be
had. A lesson should be learned from
this habit of cattle and the owner
will do we'll to provide shady place
for his stock away from the farm
:arG. In addition to using fly repell
ers daily or several times a week, il
the bunch of cattle is large it has beer
found a good plan to wash the backs
of the cattle couple of times in late
fall, using strong brine for the pur
pose. This is supposed to kill the
young grubs before they have attained
great size and it seems to be quite eff
fective for this purpose. Some sci
entists claim that the eggs of the
ox-warble fly are not deposited on OF
under the skin of the backs of cat
tie, but are laid upon the skin of the
fore legs and breast, where they may
be easily licked off by the animal.
From this source the eggs are said tt
be taken into the stomach, where
they hatch out and penetrate the
walls of the stomach or gullet, gair
access to the blood and finally work
their way through the flesh and Other
tissues until they arrive under the
skin. We do not take any stock in
this alleged life-history of the ox-war
BILE fly. We believe that the eggs are
deposited under the skin and there
hatch out into maggots which irri
tate the surrounding tissues with the
prickles upon their bodies and so give
rise to an inflammatory liquid in
which they live and from which they
derive their nourishment. They cause
great suffering to their hosts when
numerous and so retard growth OF
fattening, while it has been found by
investigation that hides are seriously
damaged for the purposes of the tan
ner and consumer of leather to the ex
tent of many thousands of dollars an
nually. 1t is well, then, to allay the
suffering of the animals as far as DOS
sible, and at the same time to prevent
the loss of flesh or milk certain to
follow the irritation due to numbers
of large grubs under the skin of the
backs of cattle. A solution of any
one of the commercial coal tar dips
will prove fairly effective in repelline
MARBLE flies and will last longer il
mixed with oil, tar water or oil OF
tar in the form of an emulsion. Some
have had fairly good results from kero.
sene emulsion, but thus far no perfect
fly repeller has been hit upon that
does not contain tar products such
as carbolic acid, creosote. etc.
The Hardy Mule.
Hardness is quality that is com