The Washington herald., 1909-06-24

II has been found. in studying the life
history OF the fy. that the female lays
an average OF ID eggs during her life.
and that in favorable localities there are
twelve generations OF them in q single
season. One writer has figured from this
that the progeny OF a single pair Of flies
which survived the winter would amount
10 several sextilliOns. But when II is re-
membered that one sexJillion Is one thou
sand million trillion. Il viii .ppear that
he has OvershOt the mark. II every egg
hatched. and every female fiy lived 70 lay
lZ9 eggs. the result would be Just about
what was estimated But figuring that
only hfty females would hatch from the
eggs Of each fly. the result would stu
reach the incOnceivable total OF 4SS Quln-
tilnon flies.
Seven different varieties OF flies are
found !n dwelllng-houses. ranging from
the one which rejoices in the scientific
name OF Musca domestica. 70 the plain
bluebottle. Musca domestica stands az
the top OF the list. as ninety-eight out OF
every hundred flies belong 20 his family
Il IS upon him that Dr. Howard would
forever afix the name typhoid fly"
Men read with horror OF the ravages OF
the tigers OF India and OF the long LIST
OF men and women who fall victims 70
the cObras deally bite. They sympathize
with the races OF men who have been re-
leased from the thrandom OF the mos
quito. And yet conservative scientists de-
clare that MUsca domestica is a more
deadly enemy OF mankind than mOsqui-
toes. and lions and tigers and snakes
combined. Yet for generations he has
been allowed 10 dwell IN mans own home,
and when we have screened him out Il
q
and not because he was dangerous. The
microscope was the agency that revealed
his true character
That cleanliness is next TO godllness
was never better exempiihed than in the
case OF the fly He must be born IN
filth. II the female cannot find manure
in which 10 deposit her eggs, she singles
out the next flthiest place she can find.
Old rags form a favorable substitute for
the stable. Waste paper constitutes an
other incubator But II is always neces-
sary that the eggs be laid in filth Of some
character. It IS believed by the author
tiles on the subject that II approximate
cleanliness reigned everywhere. the fy
pest would disappear. This is proved by
experience IN the mountains Of Virginia
NAANAN - q AAAl-D NAAAAA4AtCL ICcOLL around
which are built some thirty cottages. II
Is a deserted village from September TO
June, not soul living there during those
months. When the cottage owners move
IN in June. there is not a fly TO be seen
save the few that follow the horses Of
the cottagers up the mountain side for
two miles. But they never become. nu-
merous until more than six weeks after
the fiy season reaches its height in the
Shenandoah Valley below. The first ar
rivals Of the next summer having Der
ished In the cold and for lack OF Nth.
II is thought that the automobile and
motor wagon will ultimately 20 far To-
ward solving the fly problem IN the cities
II is reported that in those neighborhoods
where the garage has taken the place of
livery stable the fiy crop has shown
corresponding decrease Some cities have
enacted laws relating to the care and dis
position OF stable manure. which will. II
enforced, go far toward eliminating The
house fly. Public sentiment may yet ban
ish the city horse stable, as Il has already
banisheG the pigpen. and with the coming
Of the horseless age in the cities flies may
disappear from the large centers OF popu-
lation-
tCopyrisht 1909 By Frederic J. Haskin)
O-mOrrOu-Sixning Tarin Bills.
Only n Hint. \