THE FARM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 202, 24 August 1904, Page 7

THE FARM.

jjjEAT&EXT OF BOTS IX HORSES. '■ fflyA. A. Brown, M.8., 8.5., in 'Agricul- '■ tv.ral Journal nf \ ietoria.") gots, which are larval stages in the y e veloptnent of the l>ot fly (Castc-ro-j .jjjius cqiiii, inhnbil the stomach of the lone. Tllt> stnnmoh of the horse is . into tv.-o parts. The left half . jj covered with n lining which is a pro- ' 'jongation of the lining of the gullet, and js pale in colour, and does not st-crefe • ro-stric The right halt is lined snth a reddish velvety membrane, and iiecretes the gn.Kt.vie juice. The hots ye- ,'■ m c in the lefl hali of the organ, and '•'{.bey remain then- iluruii; the greater jiart of autumn and the whole of winter. i * g o f, fl present several phases in their icvelopmciit. (1) In the fir-t stacre the ogiz-i are ■t r Jound adhering to the hair.- of tiie ■ torse. The egjjf> are usually deposited ~V the fly on those parts of the body I {,f the animal readily accessible, to his Vtongue. and on licking his fkin he rej "/noves the eggs and introduces 1 hem into T, |ijs stomach. ; (2) Jhe egg undergoes the nexi elagc '',f its'development in the stomach, aul drains the grub or hot state. In this ttage it maintains its existence in (he jstomacli. (3) About the beginning of spring the 1 ), o ts spontaneously leave the horse's jstomach lo undergo the third nr pupa ifage in the ground. (4) The fourth stage is the winged Insect stage (hot fly). The adult Hies prevail during summer and parly Itutumn. As regards treatment, preventive ■ measures are of paramount iniportnnee, tind should, as far as practicable, be car:ittad out in those districts in which hot 'Mies extensively prevail. It is during the summer and enrly autumn that the liot fly is seen hovering about horses, always on the nlert to dart down upon its 'victims and deposit its egc ; . The female jias an arrangement lovipositor) which Is a tubular prolongation of its body, (iy means of which it can readily attneh the eggs to the liairs of (ho horse hy a glutinous sub.-taiH-e which is secreted jit the time of the deposition of eggs. |jot flies make swift durts down upon liorses and probably deliver a blow, but they do not sting. At those seasons when bot flies prevail those parts of the tiorse that he can reach with his tongue should, if practicable, lie examined, and If ,eggs are observed adhering to the iiairs they should be washed off with A 5 per cent, solution of caustic potash. The alkaline solution dissolves the glutinous Btlbstance that binds the eggs to the hairs.

During the summer and early autumn, as a prevrntivp for hots, horses should be kept closely clipped and a 5 per cent, solution nf valerianate of soda in any iTude paraffin oil should be rubbed m er those parts of the body accessible to thetongue. Besides valerianate of snda,other eubstances, such as the fluid extract of asafoetida, eucalyptus oil. and formalin, which communicate pungent and persis tent odour.-, mijiht l«- uriven a trial to ttard off the Hies. II hns been that the flics dislike certain odours, and trials in the direr-lion indicated aro Worthy of beinjx made. Hue rubbing with paraffin oil will last fully n fortnight, providing weather bn dry. In fnrt, clipping close trip hair over parts *r> -the tongue β-honld always be-done, as then the flies would have a difficulty in effecting it lodgement of the fggs. Moreover, when flipped, the parts can be more readily anointed with the paraffin oil. Crude paraffin oil can be got for about 4/ per gallon. Birds eat the grubs when they pass with the dnvp pings, so birds are inimical to the development of the bot fly. Fowls allowed to ucrape about clunc; henps will devour the tots.' All droppings containinc; bots should be mi.yd with unslaked lime, and the linu- will kill the hots. When the, eggs have been inlroduced into the stomach of the hoi>o they there devclr.p to the bot stn £ro, and tfforts must be made to rid tl:p animal ff the invaders. Some time npo the late Dr. Moore, of Beulah, ajiproached mc wncerning the way hor.-os in the district were scourged by bot?, and I refcommended him to carry out ;i treatment ■fl-hich I had long advocated, and he subsequently reported to mc that he was astonished at the result. I'relimiiiary to the administration of the specific, the animal i< deprived of food 'or a few hours. No food i* ndmimstersay, after about I o'clock on the day treatment is commenced, but the animal B »y be allowed access to water. At light a pint of raw linseed oil is given, Md on the following morning a drench X administered consisting of

Bisulphide of carbon—4o-fiO drops. Oi] of turpentine—2 teaspoonfuls. Ether—l teaspoonfnl. &er or milk—l pint. An hour or so after the acliiiinistra™n of the drench a warm bran mash would be allowed. The bots inhabiting the stomach will Jβ poisoned with the fumes of the carMil bisulphide, and will be expelled wad. After Ihree or four days have lapsed the treatment .should be repeat--1(1 to see if any of the parasitrs have Gained behind. Pure bisulphide of carbon is a colourp liquid almost in.'oluhlp in water, but » soluble in oils and others. It und.-r-EP« alteration in thp lijrht. so it must DE ! kept in a dark place. It is. niorov "j extremely volatile and inrlam™»e> ab and must not bo hroiiffht nmr a a ™ e . as ar. explosion would ensue. ■as a remedy for oxpellino; bots gasowe also has a valtßj. One ounce of Psoline in a pint of raw linseed oi! or ™" should be sriv.T. to n drauphi bor-e. fo m Shoi,ld Uv IP l ,f>at(,t l ~ye ry flay '■ three days. Nearly all vermifuges more or l*? s poisonous in one wny ' another, but, if properly used, tliev j. not Particularly dangrrous. any untoward symptoms occur d n PTing the bisulphide- of carbon w!L a pint nf ,r,nk ci,ntainii; K four Jjoonfuls of bakin S ,<„;, should be fetraf ,and ' f Rn - V nC '" ar t,fter tllc ad:Tiie - »tottat- n of .B.asolinp, -J ten spoonfuls of s P ilil;i °f iimmonia in a pint 'JNUk should be administered. (tU i ment nf I)n,s in fl" , rectum ■ awn* •??* of t!l(1 fSaßtfi-ophilu!. liaco( "hoidalis) consists in tho injection quaL on nf pn »T"O" snlt or of ca Da , T atcr - Rflkin P out tllp rpctum paxa s jj° be reported to for removing the