Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-09-06
TEXAS SUFFERS TO EXTENT OF
$4,000 IN A FEW MONTHS
TIME IN FALL. T

Washington, D. c., Sept. 4.-Durlne
the late summer of 1872 the actual
death less of live stock in northern
Texas caused by the stable fly is con
servatively estimated at $l5,OOO IN
farmers bulletin No. $40, recently Is
sued by the department of agriculture
The loss due to the reduction in milk
supply may reasonably be placed al
$4,000 and other losses far surpass
these two items.
This only includes a few counties IN
northern Texas where the fly was most
abundant and not it's devastations
sustained in practically all parts OF
the United States. The department.
new bulletin is written by r: y. blsn
ODD, one of it's chronological experts
and gives many practical hints regard
ing the control of this pest.
Resides literally worrying catte
mules and horses to death and. killlne
them by extracting their blood, the
deadly fly also transmits disease from
one animal to- another. A trQpicai
sickness known as surra is undouDteo'
ly transmitted thus. Fortunately thls
does not occur in the United states at
present, but unless great care is exer'
cised in importing stock 1t may be IN
troduced at any time and the deadly
fv given a chance to spread 1t. A
related disease Of cattle, horses, ana
sheep. known as souma, and malay
of hogs and cats are also carried, at
least in part, by this insect.
Investigators also consider 1t to be
an agent in transmitting CHAMBERS,
while a disease known as lnfectlous
anemia or swamp fever of horses IS
thought by some to be carried by tnls
nv. A number Of years ago 1t was
found to act as a transmitter OF
species of roundworm that infests
cattle.
Animals weakened by loss,of blood
are more prone to contract other dis
eases. "Texas fever in an acute form
often attacks live stock that has be.
come less energetic in fighting with
stable flies. The joints Of both
horses and cattle sometimes become
SO swollen from standing in water
where they sought protection from
flies, that they can hardly walk.
Even man may be inoculated with
disease by this pest. Spetlcemla
(blood-poisoning) is considered TO be
carried by it and demonstrations or
famous physicians have pointed to the
possibility of the transmission OF IN
fantile paralysis in the same manner
Thus it will be seen that the trans
mission Of a formidable array Of dis
eases is chargeable to the stable fly.
The stable fly is one OF the most
~ frHnNfo hp1n q
common in both tropical and tenn
perate regions where domestic AMI
mails are reared. In regious bordering
on the tropics the flies are OF import
ance throughout the entire year. IN
the extreme southern part of our coun'
try there is no month during the year
in which flies are, not annoying 10
horses and cattle. In the northern
states. the fly is particularly injurious
and abundant in the late summer and
fall.
Investigations made during the 1917
outbreak showed clearly that the vast
majority Of stable flies bred in straw
stacks. 1t was also shown that while
the fly breeds in pure horse manure, 1t
favors mixture Of this substance
with straw.
The fly was found to be breeding in
-..ch greater abundance in oat straw
than in wheat straw. Rice straw was
also found to furnish suitable breed
ing conditions and there Is little doubt
that barley and rye also serve as food
for the immature stages of tho insect.
The development of this insect Is some
what slower than that Of the house fly
and it is therefore quite necessary that