Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-08-13
Destroy the FLY.


When the modern mother sings Baby
bye. here's 4 fly" 10 her infant. she
changes the second line of the old nur-
sery song TO read Let Us swat him YOU
and ]" The common houScfly is no longer
an object of tolerant interest, but has
become an object Of hatred and diStrust
lie is known IL be the principal factor
i'll the distribution OF the germs of ty-
phoid.
Especially is he regarded as the en-
envy of the baby. as there II reason To
believe that lac carries about the germs
of summer diarrhea and leaves them be
hind him. with other filth, when he
lights ~ The nipple Of the feeling bot
tie. or crawlS over the saucer Of cereal
or falls in the milk. Thus he Is 4 real
danger. moi only It. the baby but To the
whole family. ANA every effort should
be made to do ava with him.
Flies may be kept out of the house 10
q considerable extent by using screens
II the doors and windows, and those
that get inside may be trapped, poisoned
or swatted. But better than any OF
these methods is 10 destroy the flies in
the larval stage and thus prevent them
from Matching. The following inforIna.
ton is furnished by the Department of
Agriculture:
"A safe and effective weapon against
the typhoid or houSc-fiy has been found
in powdered helleborc by scientists Of
the Department of Agriculture. Flies
lay their eggs chiefly in stable manure
Powdered hellcbore mixed with water
and sprinklcd over the manure, will de
story the larvae which are Matched
from the eggs. Since powdered hellcborc
is readily obtainablc. this puts i'll the
hands of everyone 4 remedy for one of
the pests that has bccn found dangerous
As well as troublesome. Powdered hele
bore. however. will not kill adult flies.
which must be swatted or trapped.
1T has long been known that flies
breed III manure but previous methods
Of destroying the larvae there by the
use of strong chemicals have been open
To the objection that the treatment un-
der some conditions lesScned the ferti
liZing value of the manure or actually
injured vegetation. This is not true of
powdered hellebore. Governments expert
ments have ShIwn that the hellcbOre il
entirely decomposcd in the course of
the fermentation IF the manure ami
that even in excessive quantities il
does no harm except to the larvae it il
intended to DESTROY. Chickens picking in
manure treated with il suffer no i'll eff
fects.
"@Hdhalf p1Ind Of powdered helle
bore mixed with 10 gallons of water IL
sufficient to kill the larvae in : bushels
or 10 cubic feet of manure The mixture
should he Sprinkled carefully over the
pile. especial attention being paid Ia
The outer edges. In most places hcllebore
rs obtainablc in 100 pound lots al a
cost of III cents 4 pound. This makes the
cost If the treatment a little less than
seven tenths Of a cent per hushel Of ma
nure. \ liberal estimate If the output
of manure is two bushels a dav per
horse. The money involved il. therefore.
triiling i'll comparison with the benefits
10 the individual and the community
from the practical elimination Of the
disease spreading fly.
Although fresh manure il the IA
vorite breeding spot. flies lay their eggs
in other places a. well, such aS outhou-
ses, refuse plies, etc. In these places
from which no manure i taken To
spread on the fields. considerable saw
ing may be effected through the s1bsti-
tuition Of borax for powdered hellebore.
Applied at the rate If 0.62 pounds per
: bushel Of manure. borax i as effert.
i've rs powdered hcllcborc in killing The
larvae. but costs les than half 4 cent
70 reach bushel Of manure treated. In