Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1914-08-08


isls OF the department Of agriculture
have discovered that a small amount
or ordinary borax sprinkled. daily on
manure, will effectively prevent the
breeding OF the typhoid or house fly.
Similarly, the same substance az.
pied to garbage, refuse, open toilets.
damp floors and crevices in stables
cellars or markets, will prevent fy
eggs from Matching. Borax will not
Kill the adult fly nor prevent it from
laying eggs, but its thorough use will
prevent any further breeding.
The investigation, which included
experiments with many substances
was undertaken to discover Soma
means or preventing the breeding f
MES IN horse manure without lessen
ing tn value Of this manure as :,
lerllllZer FOR use by he farmer. Il
was 1elt that If some means of pre-
venting the breeding OF flies near a
human habitation could be devised
the diseases spread by these filthy
germ carriers could be greatly re-.
duced. While the Swat the fly cam
palgn,' traps and other devices for
reducing the number Of typhoid-carrv.
ing lies are of value they are of less
Importance than the prevention OF
the breeding. 1t was realized how
ever, that no measure for preventing
the breeding Of flies would come into
common useu Mess it was such that
the farmer could use it on his ma,
| nure pile without destroying it's use
| lu!ness for growing plants, and with
| out Introducing into the soil any sub.
stance that would interfere with his
crops
AS result Of experiments carried
or. at the Arlington Farm in Virgin
la, ald New Orleans, La, the inves.
| tlgators found that O.62 Of a pound Of
| boraX or O.75 Of a pound Of calcined
coiemanite (crude calcium borate)
would kill the maggots and prevent
l
breeding in s bushels of horse ma
nure from developing. This was prov
ed by placing manure in cages and
comparing the results from piles
treated with bOraX and from untreat
eel piles. The borax. it was found
killed the fly eggs and maggots il
the manure and prevented their
growth into flies
In the case Of garbage cans or re
fuse piles, ounces of borax or cal
cined colemanite, costing from
cents a pound upward according tt
the quantity which is pu, chased, vii!
ieffectually prevent flies from breed
ing.
While it can be safely stated that
no injurious action has followed the
application of manure treated with
boraX at the rate of go pounds for s
bushels or even larger amounts in
the case Of some'plants, nevertheless
boraX-trcated manure has not bee1
studied in connection with the growth
OF all crops, nor has it's cumulative
effect been determined 1t is there
fore recommended that not more than
Is tons Of the borax-treated manure
should be applied per acre to the
field. AS truck growers use consid
erably more than this amount, it l:
suggested that all cars containing
boraxtreated manure be so marked
and that public health officials slip
ulate in their directions for this treat
ment that not over so (62-1OO Of q
pound for 8 bushels Of manure be
used, as it has been shown that larg
er amounts Of borax will injure most
plants. 1t is also recommended thai
all public health officials and others
in recommending borax treatment fol
killing fly eggs and maggots in ma
nure warn the public against the in
furious effects Of large amounts Il
borax on the growth of plants. Pur