Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1914-08-26
B0RAx AND hOUsEFLIEs.
A Method For Preventing Flies From.
Breeding In Horse Manure.

= Wetn0u Tor preventing Flies From.
Breeding In Horse Manure.
Prepared by United States department Of
agriculture.
As 4 result of experiments the spe-
clallsts Of the department Of agricul-
ture have discovered that a small
amount of ordinary borax sprinkled
daily on manure will effectively pre-
Vent the breeding Of the typhoid or
housef1y. Similarly the same substance
applied to garbage, refuse. open toilets,
damp floors and crevices in stables.
cellars or markets will prevent fly eggs
from hatching. Borax will rot kill the
adult fly nor prevent it from laying
eggs. but its thorough use will prevent
any further breeding #
The investigation, which included ex-
periments with many substances. was
undertaken to discover some means Of
preventing the breeding of flies in
horse manure without lessening the
value Of this manure as Il fertilizer for
use by the farmer. It was felt thatif
some means of preventing the breeding
of flies near Il human habitation could
be devised the diseases spread by these
filthy germ carriers could be greatly
reduced. While the swat the fly cam
paign, traps and other devices for re-
ducing the number of typhoid carrying
flies are of value. they are Of less I'M
portance than the prevention of the
breeding 1t was realized. however.
that no measure for preventing the
breeding of flies would come into COM
mon use unless it was such that the
farmer could use it on his manure pile
without destroying its usefulness for
growing plants and without introduce
ing into the soil any substance that
would interfere with his crops.
AS a result Of experiments carried
on at the Arlington farm in Virginia
and New Orleans. La. the investiga-
tors found that O.G2 of pound of
boraX or O.75 of a pound Of calcned
colemanite (crnde calcium borate)
would kill the maggots and prevent
practically all of the flies ordinarily
breeding in eight bushels of horse ma
.nure from developing This was PROV
Cd by placing manure in cages and
comparing the results from piles treat
ed with borax and from untreated
piles. The boraX, it was found, killed
the fly eggs and maggots in the ma
nure and prevented their growth into
flies
In the case of garbage cans or refuse
piles. two ounces of boraX or calcined
colemanite. costing from cents Il
pound upward, according to the guam
tity which is purchased, will effectu-
ally prevent flies from breeding
In feeding to hogs garbage that con-
tains boraN care is also recommended.
especially when the animals are being
fattened for market. Borax is not 4
very poisonous substance. and the
feeding of garbage that contains it to
hogs is not likely to be Il serious mat
ter. On the other hand, borax in large
quantities does produce gastric dis
turbances, and for this reason certain
amount of care is advisable
The method for using this substance
in the case of stables is to sprinkle
the borax or colemanite in the quanti
ties given above by means of a -four
sitter or other fine sieve around the
outer edges of the pile of horse ma
nure. The manure should then be
sprinkled Immediately with two or
three gallons of water to eight bushels
of manure. 1t is essential. however. to
sprinkle little of the boraX on the ma
nure as it is added daily to the pile
Instead Of waiting until full pile is
obtained, because this will prevent the
eggs which the flies lay on fresh ma
nure from Matching. AS the fly mag
gots congregate at the outer edge of
the manure pile most Of the borax
should be sprinkled there.