The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-27
FEDERAL EXPERTS
 TELL HOW FLIES
 MAY BE DESTROYED

MAY BE DESTROYED
 A safe and effective weapon against the typhoid or house fly has been found in powdered hellebore by scien- lists of the department of agriculture. Flies lay their eggs chiefly in stable manure. Powdered he1lebore mixed with water end sprinkled over the manure will destroy the larvae which are matched from the eggs. Since pow dered hellebore is readily obtainabIe this puts in the hands of everyone a remedy for one of the pests that has been found dangerous as we'll as trou- blesome. Powdered hellebore, how ever, will not kill adult flies which must be swatted or trapped.
 It has long been known that flies breed in manure but 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 fectilizing value of the manure or actually injured vegetation. This is not true of powdered hellebore. Government experiments have shown that the hellebore is entirely decom- posed in the course of the fermenta- ton of the manure and that even in excessive quantities it does no harm except to the larvae it is intended to destroy. Chickens picking in ma nure treated with 1t suffer no i'll ef- fects.
 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 at @ cost of II cents a 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 is two bushels day per horse. The money involved is, therefore, trif1ing in comparison with the bene- fits to the individual. and the com- munity from the practical elimination of the disease-spreading fly.
 Although fresh manure Is the fa- vorite breeding spot, flies lay their eggs In other places as well, such as outhouses, refuse piles, etc, In these places, from which no manure Is ta- ken to spread on the fields, consider lajbie saving may be effected through tho substitution of borax for powdered hellebore. Applied at the rate of 0.e2 pounds per eight bushels of ma- nure, borax is as effective as powder ed hellebore in killing the larvae but 1,o1 oIo | bushel of manure treated. In larg- CT quantities, however. or when the ] manure itself is spread at greater
 rate than 16 tons to the acre. some damage to crops may result. Large quantities of manure are often used
 by market gardeners and others, and there is always danger of careless 1 ness in applying the borax. The use of the more expensive but safer helle- | bore is therefore recommended for ! treatment of manure. Borax is
 recommended for the treatment of manure. Borax is recommended for all other refuse in which flies may | lay eggs.
 Scientists who have been working l for years to eliminate the fly are l convinced that the use of one or the other of these simple measures IS a
 public duty wherever manure and re- ! fuse exist. Sanitarians, however,
 strongly advise the removal of refuse heaps or other unnecessary rubbish or breeding places for flies In breed l ing places which cannot be thus dis posed of-such as manure or stables l-the daily use of powdered hellebore will keep the flies from breeding in
 these. favorite breeding grounds. The best results are obtainable in a com
 munity where everyone cleans up his
 premises, traps, or kills the flies, and systematically treats the manure and
 other breeding places with powdered hellebore.
 The fly Is not only a nuisance to hu-
 man beings and live stock; it spreads disease and filth and is a menace to public health which cannot be tol-
 erated in the face of 8 demonstrated
 remedy. Details of the experiments
 with other information on the sub ject are contained in a professiona paper, Bulletin 245 of the United
 States department of agriculture.