The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1915-08-12
70 PREVENT FLIES BREEDING
New and Safe Method Of Destroying
tho Larvae Discovered.

the Larvae Discovered.
Prepared by United States department
OF Agricultural
A safe and effective weapon against
the typhoid or housedy has been found
In powdered hellebore by scientists Of
the department of agriculture. Flies
lay their eggs chiefly In stable manure.
Powdered hellebore 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, will not
kill adult flies, which must be swatted
or trapped.
II has long been known that flies
breed In manure. bur previous meth
DDS 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 fertillzing 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 Il does no harm except to
the larvae 1t Is intended to destroy.
Chickens picking In manure treated
with II suffer no N, 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 Of 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 In 100
pound lots Mt cost Of II cents pound.
This makes the cost of the treatment
little less than seven-tenths Of
cent per bushel of manure. A liberal
estimate of the output OF manure IN
two bushels day per horse The mon.
ey involved In therefore trifiing In com.
parison with the benefits to the indi.
viduul and the community from the
llH'ticUi tiiuiiuutiou VI tue uireust
spreading hy.
Although fresh manure IL the favor.
ito breeding spot. dies lay their eggs
In other places as well. such rs out
houses. refuse piles, etc. In these
places, from which no manure Is taken
to spread ON the fields. considerable
saving may be effected through the
substitution OF bornx for powdered bel.
lebore. Applied at the rate OF 0.62
pounds per bushels OF manure borax
is as effective as powdered hellebore
la killing the larvae. but costs less
than half cent for each bushel OF
manure treated. In larger quantities.
however. or when the manure itself IN
spread at a greater rate than 10 tons
to the acre. some damage TO crops may
result. Large quantities Of manure
are often used by market gardeners
and others. and there IL always danger
OF carelessness In applying the borax.
The use OF the more expensive but
safer hellebore is therefore recon-
mended for the treatment of manure.
puIuA 10 ftcothiichucu UT uil othcf
refuse IN which flies may lay eggs.
Scientists who have been working
for years 20 eliminate the fly are con
yinced that the use OF one or the other |
Of these simple measures IL n public
duty wherever manure and refuse ex.
lst. Sanltarlans. however. strongly |
advise, the removal OF refuse heaps or \
other unnecessary rubbish or breeding |
places for dies. In breeding places
which cannot be thus disposed OF. such |
N manure or stables. the daily use OF /
powdered hellebore win keep the flies
from breeding In these favorite breed.
ng grounds. The best results are OBJ
In a community where every /
Dne cleans up his premises. traps or
Kills the flies and systematically treats
he manure and other breeding places
with powdered hellebore.
The tiy Is not only nuisance 10 hD-
nan beings ana live stock. but spreads
disease and filth and Is menace 10
,ublic health which cannot be tolerat.
ID In the face OF demonstrated