Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-07-15

the wagon, and the place that knew
would know them no more. But
indeed that's just what | can't say
for by the end Of the very same
week a small spot which had been
cleanly and bare, and now comes the
really terrible part of the garbage
seanson, hot weather, and flies.
These add a thousand fold to the OBJ
noXiousness of the heap. Not only
the senses of sight and smell are
greatly offended, but the very health
Of the family and community are
jeoperdized.
For-humming gaily by thousands
the flies Of the good old summer
time collect about the garbage piles;
they find food ready to hand and of
their liking and the worse condition
the heap is in, the more attractive
it is to the common house-fly. Now
then-it has been proven over and
over by scientists that the common
house-fly is a deadly enemy of the
human race-in as much as they are
the constant bearers of germs, of
such fatal diseases as typhoid fever,
consumption, diphtheria, yellow fever
plague, and in fact any disease which
is developed from a germ. 1t has
been proven that each fly has upon
its feet and legs something like
10000 hairs which exude a sticky,
Shiny fluid and upon their feet the
deadly germs just mentioned, which
are left in small colonies upon every
object upon which the fly alights.
Now don't you think it high time
that the intelligent people in each
community began to wage war on
the fly? And this common fly whose
species by a single fatal foot print
can kill man, lays 120 eggs, which
period lasts days and the pupa
period days Tin all 10 days. for
the new generation to leap into
full, active life.
Then in a single summer one pair
Of flies viii produce - generations
or a total number Of billions of flies;
which the mind cannot grasp.
Now you have some idea of the
magnitude Of the war which is be-
fore us and which we must sooner
Or later fight to the bitter end. There
are several ways of DISCRIMINATING
flies. We may kill them by means
Of poison, or fly paper or a blow,
but by far the more effective way
is Of starving them out Of existance.
For if no food, or but little could
be obtained by the common house-fIy
it would perish for lack Of nourish-
ment, even as human beings do. Al
so the refuse of the stable, is the
place above all others in which the
common house-fly deposits her eggs.
No other place is ever chosen if the
refuse from the COW or horse stables
can be found by the female fly. Now
if this is so and every man and wo-
man in the community could be in
formed Of it millions Of flies could
be destroyed by the burning of these
piles, or the spraying of the pile
with cloride of lime or other antisep-
tics, until it was possible to remove
and destroy them. If we can deprive
the female fly of having a place in
whIch heat and moisture will de
veIope her eggs-we have commenced
to win the fight. If, besides this, we
can screen all waste products Of ami
antiseptic treatments of such pro-
ducts, we can soon hope to destroy
this plague of the goth century. And
now having talked a bit about the
danger from the house and barn re-
fuse lying about us let Us see if
there is anything in which We can
continue healthy and sanitary con-
ditions about US, for if we wish these
conditions we must surely take care
Of our garbage heaps. First I would
lay stress upon these things, keep
your ashes in a separate pile and
keep your tin cans and broken dish
es in barrels or boxes.
Then in your kitchen collect all
bits of garbage mot used to feed do
nestle animals) such as parings and
scraps and having poured off all
liquid possible, burn them in your
range. If you wish to do so and
still not disturb your heat, add them
at the back of the stove, where they
will quickly dry and can be pushed
forward into the fire box. I once
knew a woman whose kitchen con-
tanned no refuse pan or pail as she
burned every bit Of garbage she col
lected at the close Of each meal.
Then if your ashes are kept sep
erateIy the city workmen will call
for them at intervals and use them