Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-19
Some Staggering Figures.


Washington and let US estimate-on the
individual fiies-upon plenty Of places for
the insect to develop and for the
larvae to feed, upon an average of
this period increasing in the autumn and
being greater also in the springtime)-let
us start then on April 10 with a single
overwintering fly which on that day lays
40 eggs and We will have the following
table:
April 15-The overwintering female fly
lays 100 eggs.
May 1-12O adults issue. Of which 60
are females.
May 1910 females lay 40 eggs each
$3.50 are females.
June $500 females lay 12O eggs
each.
June 2O-4s2, 900 adults issue, of which
$4,000 are females.
June 3O-216,OOO females lay 12O eggs
EACH
July 1O-25.92o.OOO adults issue. of
which 1880 COO are females.
July 1912. $4,000 females lay 40 eggs
each.
July 29-1,G1, 2OO, COO adults issue, Of
which al, 100000 are females.
August SIT, 100000 females lay 100
August 1s-ss.s12, 900, 600 adults issue.
August 2-46,656, OOO.OO females lay
40 eggs each.
September 1O-5, 59s, 72O, OoO, 600 adults
issue.
A Public Duty.
Such figures stagger the imagination.
Does not contemplation of these
possibilities. even with all the possible
accidents of nature to limit them. indicate
in the strongest possible way, even il
the carriage Of disease by these per-
n1clous creatures were not considered,
the necessity Of nm effort ON the part
OF the people to assist nature I'm limit
Ing q nuisance to humanity.
So the time is here to SWAT THE FLY.
One killed today will do more to make
Washington a fiyless city than hundreds
killed later on. There are plenty Of them
the top of the picture rails. look behind
the pictures. behind the books on open
shelves, loose wall paper, everywhere.
Don't wait for spring cleaning. DO 1T
NOW! Enlist at once in the campaign
for health and get others to join in the
fight against disease. Every fiy killed
now makes the big battle which begins
April ID easier to win, and every good
citizen wants Washington to be a FLY
LESS CITY.
Views Of DR.. Woodward.
DR.. William c. Woodward, health Of
ficer of the District. and Dr. Arthur
Murray of the District health depart
ment. who supervised The Stars swat
the fly" crusade last summer, are both
advocates OF the plan to commence an
early campaign for the determination Of
the insects. In an interview with Star
reporter today DIR. Woodward said:
The Stars summer campaign against
the fly did good last year. A spring
campaign now will, however, be produc-
tive Of much greater results.
The destruction of single female fy
before the beginning Of the breeding sea-
son. about April 10. will be as effective
as the destruction Of a thousand flies in
May. hundred thousand flies in June or
hundred million flies in July. The total
number of flies killed in the campaign
or last summer was only 1000, OOO
according to estimates made by COM
potent authority. the seventh generation
OF fly that has lived through the win
ter Will appear about the middle Of Sep
TENDER. and her descendants in that gen
Grafton may possibly number over five
trillions. Even. therefore, If very large
number of her progeny dies before ma
turity. her offspring will be sufficiently
numerous to make it worth while to
swat the fly now.
offenses Against Decency.
Flies must be regarded as offenses
against decency, comfort and health.
Why should not the entire community
undertake now to wipe out the creatures
for the coming season by destroying
every one that appears, and by paying
special attention to the cleanliness of the
premises. particularly to stables and ac-
foundations of refuse, which afford breed
ing places and feeding places for flies?"
Dr. Murray recently has received letters
from health officials in a number Of for
eign countries. as well as several Amer
lean cities, requesting information about
The Stars campaign. The advantage Of
getting swat the n.y. campaigns under
way early in the season has been pointed
out by Dr.. MURRAY In his ANSWERS to the