Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-02-23
PLAN UNDER WAY TO HAVE SPE.
cIAL OBSERVANCE in PUBLIC
SCHOOLS OF STATE.
FOOD AND STATE SCHOOL
OFFICIALS COOPERATING
Students in General Ignorance Concern
ing Common Pest-Resions in Europe
Whore Fly Has Been Entirely Elm
inatsd-Next Week 10 Seed Corn
Week-Iowans Book Buyers.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines. Feb. 23.-"Swat the Fly
Week" may be observed in the schools
Of the state during the first week of
May If plans being considered by Ben
G. Illif, deputy state food and dairy
commissioner, and the office Of state
superintendent Of public instruction
are carried out.
The 100000 school children of the
state will be given some instruction
each day of this particular week on the
fly as a disease carrier and the meth
DDS used to extreminate them. Deputy
Commissioner lllif has gotten out a
bulletin on this subject and this will
be used in instructing the children.
1T is surprising how little the av-
erage high school graduate knows
about this common pest the household
fly" said Commissioner Illif in dis
cussing the needs for swat the fly
campaign. Last summer was out
to a young farmers place north Of
Des Moines where a number of sheep
had been killed by dogs and had been
left lying In a lot not far from the
house. The dead animals were literally
alive with maggots. I called this con-
dition to the young fellows attention
and told him that in few days his
place would be swarming with flies.
He was q graduate of the Des Moines
high schools and yet he had never
learned anything concerning santa
ton, or the danger from disease carry
ing flies. 49,
"1'he United States was able to build
the Panama canal largely because of
sanitary measures which prevented
disease. The French people when they
tried to build the canal disregarded
these and failed.
The fly is a more serious menace
than is commonly realized and I think
If the campaign for graduating the
flies is carried far enough we can
eventually overcome this pest. There
are regions in Europe where the fly
has been exterminated and it can be
exterminated here
Seed Corn Week.
Next week is seed corn week accord
ing to the proclamation, of Governor
Clarke. Especial attention is to be
called to testing of seed corn by far
mers' organizations and other inter-
ested in the welfare of Iowa's 1916
corn crop.
commissioner w. %. Barney OIL the
dairy and food commission declares
that of the seed which has been sub
initted to him for testing little more.
than half has tested "a per cent. Two
samples sent into his department for
testing from the 1914 crop tested 81 per
cent and one from the 1915 crop tested
81 per cent germinative seed. The
poorest sample submitted, so far,
showed d test OF TO per cent, he says.
lowans Book Buyers.
Representatives of the Methodist
book concern who are here attending
the laymen's missionary conference
say that Iowa is one Of the best states
In the union In which to sell books.
These book men have been doing big
business while the laymen have been
here.
Our Chicago office is one Of our big
gest offices and Iowa is the territory
which buys the most books from our
Chicago Office" said one Of the repre-
sentatives here yesterday. Il think it
is true that Iowa people buy more
books and magazines per capita than
the people Of other states. We have
never done the business at our big 1lli-
,nois Methodist conferences which we
do at the conference meetings here in
Iowa"
Vote For Consolidation.