The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1915-07-29
TO PREVENT FLIES BREEDING
New and Safe Method Of Destroying
tho Larvae Discovered.

4
of Agricultural
A safe and effective weapon against
the typhoid or housefy has been found
In powdered hellebore by scientists OF
the department OF agriculture. Flies
lay their eggs chiefly In stable manure.
Powdered helebore mixed with water
and sprlnkled over the manure will de-
stroy the larvae which are hatched
from the eggs. Since powdered helle-
bore is readily obtainable this puts In
the hands Of everyone remedy for
one of the pests that has been found
dangerous as well as troublesome.
Powdered hellebore, however, VIII not
kill adult flies, which must be swatted
or trapped
1t has long been known that flies
breed In manure, bur previous meth
ods Of destroying the larvae there by
the use of strong chemicals have been
open to the objection that the treat
ment under some conditions lessened
the fertilizing value of the manure or
actually injured vegetation. This Is
not true OF powdered hellebore. Gov
ernment experiments have shown that
the hellebore IL entirely decomposed In
the course OF the fermentation OF the
manure and that even In excessive
quantities II does no harm except to
the larvae It is Intended to destroy.
Chickens picking I'm manure treated
with Il suffer no III effects.
One-half pound of powdered helle-
bore mixed with ten gallons Of water
is sufficient to kill the larvae In eight
bushels or ten cubic feet or manure.
The mixture should be sprinkled care
fully over the pile, especial attention
being paid to the outer edges. In most
places hellebore Is obtainable I'm 100
pound lots at cost OF II cents pound.
This makes the cost OF the treatment
n little less than scven.tenths OF u
cent per bushel OF manure. A liberal,
estimate OF the output OF manure w
two bushels duy per horse. The mon
ey involved IL therefore tr'iiling In com
parison with the benefits TO the indi.
viduul and the community from the
practical elimination Of the disease
spreading dy.
Although fresh manure II the favor
itc breeding spot. flies lay their eggs
In other places as well. such Gs out
houses. refuse piles. etc. In these
places, from which no manure Is taken
10 spread on the fields, considerable
saving may be effected through the
substitution OF bornx for powdered hcl.
lcbore. Applied at the rate OF O.G2
pounds per \ bushels of manure borax
Ii MS effective as powdered hellebore
In killing the larvae. but costs less
than half u cent for each bushcl or
manure treated. In larger quantities,
however. or when the manure itself Is
spread at greater rate than 10 tons
to the acre. some damage TO crops may
result. Large quantities or manure
are often used by market gardeners
aud others. and there II always danger
of curecssncss Ia applying the borax.
The use of the more expensive but
safer hellebore Is therefore recon-
mended for the treatment of manure.
Borux Is recommended for all other
refuse IN which tiies may lay eggs.
Scientists who have been working
for years 20 eliminate the iiy are CON
vinced that the use of one or the other
OF these simple measures Is public
duty wherever manure aud refuse ex'
ist. Sanltarlans. however, strongly
advise the removal OF refuse heaps or
other unnecessary rubbish or breeding
places for flies. In breeding places
which cannot be thus disposed OF. such
as manure or stables. the daily use OF
powdered hellebore will keep the flies
from breeding In these favorite breed
ing grounds. The best results are OBJ
talnable In II community where every
one cleans up his premises. traps or
kills the dies and systematically treats
the manure and other breeding places
with powdered hellebore.
The fy is not only n nuisance 10 hu-
man beings and live stock. but spreads
disease ana filth and Is a menace 10
public health which cannot be tolerat'
ed In the face OF demonstrated
remedy.