The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-15

are eating, but sugar dissolved by the
fluid from their salivary glands. Flies
deposit the fluid on much more food
than they actually eat!
The six feet of a fly are each padded
with a pair of brush-like cushions.
These cushions are damp and the hairs
forming them make them admirable
agencies for collecting dirt. Coming
from its bed of filth the newly-trans-
formed house fly is necessarily con-
brush-like feet are laden with dirt and
germs. Whenever a fly walks 1t
spreads these germs, rendering I'M
clean everything it touches. Whenever
fly flies it's buzzing wings scatter
more germs.
During the Spanish-American war
typhoid fever was prevalent in the con-
centration camps. Lime was thrown
over the infected fecal matter in the
pits where flies were swarming. The
flies on the mess table at the next
meal had whitened legs and back,
showing conclusively whence they
came.
1t is we'll known that the excreta
of typhoid patients contain virulent
germs for some time before and after
the illness. Should these germs be
carried to the food of another person
he is apt to be stricken with fever.
Flies breeding or feeding in places
containing virulent, but perhaps I'M
suspected, germs are able to infect a
supply of food-in the market or pan
try or on the table.
A fly drinks from the gutter the
sputum of a consumptive. It's legs
and hairy body become contaminated
with germs of disease, and it's buzzing
wings scatter them in the air. Pneu-
monia, colds, grippe, cholera and vari-
Gus intestinal disorders may be, and
are. spread in this manner to healthy
people, through the agency of the
house flies.
1t has been proven that flies feed
ing on typhoid fever germs may trans
NIT virulent germs in their own ex-
creta. Hence the familiar "fyspecks"
too familiar often on dishes and food
stuffs-may be another grave source
of danger.
How to Combat Flies.
1t is objectionable oarelessness, it
is almost criminal negligence to per-
NIT this pernicious pest in our homes.
It's suppression is a matter of diff
Guilty.
Screened windows and doors, and
the use of sticky fly paper avail much,
but the most certain method of reduc-
ing the number of house flies is to
attend to their breeding places.
Manure heaps should be so covered
that flies are deprived of breeding
place. Stable droppings should be i'm
mediately cared for. They ought to
be sprinkled with one ounce of white
arsenic in gallon of water, or with
little kerosene, or chloride of lime,
or still better they could be placed in
a f1y-proof box. Outhouses should be
made fiy-proof and the pest can be
kept down in numbers. An isolated
farmer troubled with the pest has but
himself to blame. A community needs
concerted action from all its members,
and a material reduction of house
flies can be assuredly promised.
important Things to Remember.
House flies breed in fresh horse ma
nure, human excrement, and nowhere
else.
They scatter filth and spread disease
wherever they alight.
House flies are capable of multiply
ing into the millions in a month.
The flies parading over food and
dishes have every one Of them just
come from a bed of filthy excrement.
Flies are made SO that they have
to spit" first on everything they eat
before they can swallow 1t.
"Flyspecks" are twice voided ex-
crement, first by the horse, then by
the fly. Should we tolerate them?
House flies are responsible for more
typhoid fever than bad drinking water