The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1917-05-16
4 WAR TO STOP THE
BREEDING OF FLIES
Instead OF Trying To Swat
Them Issued By State
Board Of Health.

more sickness and deaths to human
beings every year than all other in
sects and animals combined. Prac-
tically the fly lays her eggs only in
horse manure or in the rich soil un-
der il, 100 to $50 at time, repeat
ing this every 3 or days, and in
about 10 days each undisturbed egg
is a full grown fly. In the height
of the fly season it has, been found
that each ton of manure often con-
tains from fifty to a hundred thous-
land or more eggs and maggots,
each of which will make a full
grown fly Any child can prove the
truth of this by half filing a glass
Jar with manure containing the eggs
or maggots and find how quick they
will hatch, develop, lay eggs and re-
peat the operation at the rate of 3
generations a month This shows
how hopeless task it is to try to
get rid of them by killing individual
screened houses.
Bred in filth, and with fine hairs
all over their bodies, heads, legs and
bills, they spend their waking hours
on the filth of privies and backwards
and on dead and decaping things,
except about meal-time when, reek-
ing in such filth, they are found
crawling over the food, hands and
utensils wherever the houses are
not so screened and managed as to
actually keep them out. Deadly as
are the seed or germs of typhoid fe-
yer and tuberculosis, 1900 of them
can be carried on one leg of a fly, |
and the seed of these diseases and |
of cholera infantum, dysentery and
hookworm constantly get into the
mouth and body in this way. These |
habits of flies can be easily proven
by sprinklng flour over the filthiest
things in back yards, and then find
ing it on the same flies as they
crawl over the food, hands and
dishes.
Leaving humans for moment,
many intelligent up-to-date farmers
have stopped breeding flies because
they can not keep their work stock
in fit condition. or fatten animals
for market. during fly time in any
other way.
As the cost of sickness and pre-
mature funerals, to say nothing of
the suffering and sorrow involved.
and the loss from injury to domes-
tic animals, caused by flies, probab-
ly imposes as much expense upon
the people of Kentucky every year
as they pay for taxes, We want to
enlist every man, woman and child
in widespread campaign against G
the breeding of flies. With the ex- 1
asting accurate knowledge of the |
subject, If the earnest and systemat-
ic cooperation of the press, the pull
pit. the teachers, the womens clubs II
and other leaders of public senti- n
ment. and, especially if the interest
OF the children can be secured, it
can be done in most cities and on y
most farms this year. How can it D
be done? el
As has been said already. ten days d.
ire required for the Matching of the p
eggs and the maturing of the flies, y"
md it should be added that the eggs u
md maggots promptly perish if the CT
manure is spread out in the open ~
'ir and sunshine. 1t follows that if
very stable in Kentucky where
horses are kept, in cities and towns
Is well as in country districts, can te
'e thoroughly and systematically I'll
LEANED out once a week. and this
'aluable product spread in thin " ~
aver over the fields and gardens. 70
Where it is so badly needed even on ri
he richest farms, the breeding of lt'
hese dangerous pests would end OF
nd the increased fertility of the o o.
oil would pay for the trouble and IN
Expense many times each year. As m
Their varieties of flies, also danger Nh
us and annoying, breed in garbage SO
nd similar collections of filth. all W.
these things, and the soil under
hem, should always be scraped up 70
arefully and hauled off with the so
lanure. There is no theory or a.
uess work about the advice here N'
wen. This method has been sue 7
'ssfully tried out in many cities
nd towns. and on thousands OF
rms in this country and abroad. nj
nd all the other plans-lime and hi,
her disinfectants. fly paper and m,
1isons, screening the manure and NV
except inside Of screened no
'uses-are practically useless and NJ
isleading. Ia
j. N MCCORMACK. Co
State Sanitary Inpector.