Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-06-11

- that fly" or swat that fly" crusades
have been instituted in many places. But 1t has
been found by experiment that we cannot hope
to XIII sufficient fes to reduce seriously their total
numbers. This is because flies breed at very
great rate when the weather is warm, and the
total numbers which can kill is SO small. when
compared to the total numbers born. that the re-
suit of the "swattng" campaigns has been disap-
pointing.
All our efforts should be directed at preventing
house flies from breeding-for prevention is bet
ter than cure. The best way to do this is to OBJ
serve strict cleanliness-municipal cleanliness
and home cleanliness. Then these insects will
desert the neighborhood. and the diseases they
convey will vanish. This was the policy pursued
on the Suez and Panama canals to prevent ma
laria and yellow fever. which conveyed from
one person to another by mosquitoes. The method
was most successful.
The house fly breeds in filth. Each female fly,
as soon as the weather is warm enough. lays
ABOUT $50 eggs on collections of manure decom.
posing garbage street rubbish or house refuse
and the eggs hatch into tiny maggots. After five
days have passed. each maggot becomes a rolled
up bean-shaped chrysalis. and after another five
days each chrysalis gives birth to a two-winged,
sxIegged, whskered. bristly flying insect known
to us as the house fly Bluebottles breed
similarly, but they prefer to lay their eggs on
rotting carcasses decaying animal matter
The house fly and the lesser house fly convey
disease by bathing their legs in germ-laden ma
terial, which they find during their feeding forays
The germs stick to their legs and to the lips of
their telescope proboscides. and then are carried
to the milk jug. the teacup. to the cut loaf and
TO the culinary utensils. Sometimes the flies
swallow the germs, which multiply inside them
and afterwards the concentrated disease focus is
again deposited wherever the fly settles
We can be rid of flies If observe the ordi
nary common sense rules of cleanliness and saul.
taton NO ny lairs or breeding places, must he
permitted near human habitations All uncIean
places must be made clean regularly once a week
Dy the sanitary or municipal authorities and then
the fly maggots will be unable to come to ma
turfty, and so the pest will be exterminated Re
Gently a war on flies has been taken I'D assidu.
ously by the press. and the medical officers of
health are exerting themselves to start antify
campaigns.
Thus the municipal authorities have made n
start, and 1t remains for the individual house
holders to help them. Each one of us can do our
share OF fly prevention We can prevent flies
In our own homes. On one morning. every week.
we must inspect our own premises. Begin in the
kitchen. Observe every nook of the scullerv tho
pantry, the cellar, even the dining room and see
that every corner and Granny is scrupulouslv
clean. Next, we must examine the dustbin to
see II II is completely cleaned out Let there be
no small collections of tea leaves spilled ont of
1t, or rotting peeings scraps OF bread or any
other places where flies breed. Let the
cheese be well covered, and the bread be in its
pan, and all food within the larder in its proper
place. And let everything be clean and whole
1t is most important, also to inform our neigh.
bors on every convenient occasion of the disgust
ing and dangerous character of house flies and
to ask them to cooperate in preventing them
Then there will be an organized campaign against
these insects. The more talk about II the
sooner will the thing be done. The education
of children in the matter is also most essential
Then a new generation will grow up knowing
the dangers Of flies and how to prevent them
Schoolmasters and schoolmistresses should be IN.
vited to teach their charges about flies and should
set the example by instructing them in the tenets
Of SchO cleanliness This will he ms
II al keep our own homes sweet and clean.
chidren's lives will be spared the horrors OF
summer sickness, typhoid will be lessened, doc.
tors bill will be reduced. and the health of the
community will be improved enormously. With
regard to house flies and fy-borne diseases the
remedy is simple. Let apply 1t.
As a result of experiments the specialists
of the United States department of agriculture
have discovered that small amount of ordinary
borax sprinkled daily manure will effectively
prevent the breeding of the typhoid or house fly.
Similarly the same substance applied to garbage,
refuse, open toilets damp floors and crevices in
stables, cellars markets, will prevent fly eggs
from Matching. Borax will not kill the adult
fly prevent 1t from laying eggs, but its
thorough use will prevent any further breeding.
The investigation, which included experiments
with many substances, was undertaken to dis
cover some means of preventing the breeding
of flies in horse manure without lessening the
value of this manure fertilizer for use by the
farmer. 1t was felt that If some means OF pre-
venting the breeding of flies a human habi.
tation could be devised, the diseases spread by
these filthy germ carriers could be greatly
duced. While the swat the fly campaign" traps
and other devices for reducing the number of
typhoid carrying flies of value, they of
less importance than the prevention of the breed.
ing II was realized. however. that measure
for preventing the breeding of flies would come
into common use unless it such that the
farmer could use il his pile without
destroying its usefulness for growing plants. and
without introducing into the soil any substance
that would interfere with his crops.
As result Of experiments carried at the Ar.
llnrton farm, In Virginia and New Orleans, La