The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-28
BORAX WILL PREVENT THE TYPHOID FLY
 FROM BREEDING
Department of Agriculture Dis covers a Method for Prevent ina Flies from Breeding in Horse Manure.

Washington, July 3S.-As 8 result of experiments, the specialists of the Department of Agriculture have dis covered that g small amount of or dinary borax sprinkled daily on ma- nure, will effectively prevent the breeding of the typhoid or house fly. Similarly, the same substance applied to gar bage, refuse. open toilets, damp dooors and crevices in stables, cellars or markets, will prevent fly eggs from matching. Borax will not kill the adult fly nor prevent it from laying eggs, but its thorough use will pre- vent any further breeding.
 The investigation. which included experiments with many substances, was undertaken to discover sorao flies in horse manure without lessen ing the. value of this manure as a fer tihzer for use by the farmer. It was felt that if some means of preventing the breeding of flies near a human habttation could. be devised the dis eases spread by these filthy germ car rters could be greatly reduced. While the Swat the fly campaign traps, and other devices for reducing the number of typhofd-carrying flies are of value, they are of less importance than the prevention of the breeding. It was realized, however, that no measure for preventing the breeding of flies would come into common use unless it was such that the farmer could use it on his manure pile with out destroying it's usefulness for grow ing plants, and without introducing 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- borax, or. 0.75 of pound of calcined coIemantte {crude calcium borate) would kill the maggots and prevent practically all of the flies ordinarily breeding in bushels of horse manure from developing. This was proved pairing the results from piles treated with borax and from untreated piles. The borax, 1t was found, killed the fly eggs and maggots in the manure and prevented their growth into flies.
 In the case of garbage cans or re- fuse piles, 2 ounces of borax or cal cined colemanite, costing from 5 cts. a pound upward according to the quantity which is purchased. will eff fectually prevent files from breeding.
 While it can be safely stated that no injurious action has followed the, application of manure treated with borax at the rate of .62 pounds for 8 bushels or even larger amounts in the case of some plants, nevertheless borax-treated manure has not been
 
 of ali crops, nor has its cumulative effect been determined. It is there fore recommended that not more than 5 tons of the borax-Ueated manure should be applied per acre to the field. As truck growers use considerably more than this amount it is suggested that all cars containing borax- -treatod manure be so marked, and that pub lie health officials stipuIate in their directions for this treatment that not eU of manure be used, as it has been shown that larger amounts of borax will injure most plants. It is also recommended that all public health officials and others in recommending, borax treatment for killing fly eggs and maggots in manure warn the pub lie against the, injurious effects of large amounts of borax on the growth of plants. Purchasers of manure produced in cities during the fly breeding season should insist that the dealers from whom they purchase give them a certified statement as to whether or not the manure in the particular car or lot involved in the purchase has been treated with borax
 In feeding to hogs garbage that contains boraEx care is also recom- meended, especially when the animals are being fattened for market Bo- rax is not very poisonous substance and the feeding of garbage that con tains 1t to hogs, is not likely to be serious matter. On the other hand duce gastric disturbances and for this reason a certain amount of care is ad- visable-
 The method for using this substance in the case of stables is to sprinkle the borax or colemanite in the quan- titles given above. by means of 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 bush els of manure. It is essential how ever, to sprinkle a, little of the borax on the manure as it is added daily to the pile, instead of waiting until a full pile is obtained, because this will pre- vent the eggs which the flies lay on fresh manure from matching. As the fly maggots congregate at the outer edge of the manure pile, most of the borax should be sprinkled there
 Borax costs 5 to cents per pound in 10o-pound lots in Washington, and it is estimated that at this rate it would cost only one cent per horse per day to prevent all breeding of flies in city stables. If calcined coleman ite is purchased in large shipments, l this cost should be considerab bly, less. | At the same time, if the borax is used on the manure only in the proportions SldleQs us NdAQS TOT use III the SaTQ0R or for sale to farmers will not be les sened.
 Tn view of this discovery, there now seems little excuse for any horse own 1 CT or resident of a city allowing ty- | phoid flies to breed in his stable or | garbage can.
 It is believed that this information l will greatly help the health authori- | ties in their campaign against the ty- | phoid fly. The health authorities 1 have long tried to prevent the breed l ing of flies in city stables through the | use of iron sulphate as 1arvacide. | Tn the case of iron sulphate, however, | 8 large amount is required, and other | insecticides such as paris green or potassium cyanide, while effective in | killing the flies, are very expensive or |