80 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



6-7 EDWARD Vll., A. 1907 



Bene emulsion. (3) Fish oil 2 quarts, and oil of tar, 2 oz., or fish oil, 2 quarts, coal 

 ■oil, 1 pint, and oil of tar, 2 ozs. (4) Good work may be done by breaking up the cow 

 droppings in the field. The maggots can only live in the dung while it is in a moist 

 condition. A boy with a rake could go over a pasture three times a week and break 

 up all the fresh droppings and the drying up of these by the sun or the washing away 

 by rain would kill all the eggs or maggots, thus locally reducing the numbers very 

 much. 



Cattle Lice. — The loss from these disgusting and very common parasites of 

 horned stock is far greater than is generally appreciated. Many animals turned out 

 in spring in poor condition have been reduced in flesh by the constant discomfort of 

 being preyed upon by myriads of lice which might have been destroyed by a little 

 attention on the part of those in charge of them. On account of the small size of 

 lice they are often overlooked until they have become very numerous and have done 

 a great deal of harm. Lousy animals will neither rest nor feed well. They are pre- 

 vented from putting on flesh, their growth is stunted, and their meat is neither so 

 good nor produced so economically. It is well known that an animal kept in good 

 condition and steadily increasing in weight costs much less to prepare for the market 

 than one whose growth is checked and allowed to get into poor condition. Lice cause 

 more loss in stock than is generally appreciated. This loss is unnecessary because all 

 of the common external parasites of live stock can be easily and cheaply treated 

 There are two kinds of lice found commonly on cattle, the Small Blue Louse or Biting 

 Ox-louse {Trichodectes scalaris, Nitzsch) and the Big Black Louse or Short-nosed 

 Ox-lbuse (Hcsmatopiniis eurysternus, Nitzsch). Both of these parasites are sometimes 

 found in great numbers on neglected cattle, and when the stalls have become thorough- 

 ly infested are hard to clear out entirely; but this can be done by continued effort 

 and with great benefit to the stock and to the owner. Many remedies are known. 

 We have used kerosene emulsion with much satisfaction, spraying it on to the animals 

 and then rubbing it well' in with the hands. Any of the recognized sheep dips will 

 also answer, and are very convenient. Eecently Zenoleum has been used for this pur- 

 pose and answers well. All of the latter are used of the strength advised by the makers 

 An important part of the treatment consists of spraying thoroughly the stalls where 

 the animals have stood, after cleaning them out. Both of these lice leave the animals 

 and hide in the cracks and crevices of the woodwork. 



Hog Louse (Hcematopinus suis, Leach). — This is the largest louse known, measur- 

 ing one-quarter of an inch in length. It is of a dirty white colour marked with brown. 

 The feet are provided with strong claws with which they cling tightly to the hairs. Al- 

 thorgh from the nature of the animals they infest and the usual way their pens are 

 built, these lice are rather difficult to eradicate, the same remedies mentioned for tbe 

 cattle lice will quickly and entirely kill these parasites also, as I have found on several 

 occasions. It is necessary to spray the sleeping quarters very thoroughly. 



Sheep Louse (Trichodectes sphcerocephalus, Nitzsch). — This is a very small louse 

 but is a very troublesome parasite, causing great irritation to infested animals which 

 show their discomfort by rubbing themselves and by biting at the wool. Most of the 

 severest cases of infestation by sheep lice have been in the winter. Sheep should be ex- 

 amined before winter sets in and if any lice are found they should be dipped. 



The Sheep Tick (Melophagus ovinus, L.). — Although usually knovm as the Sheep 

 Tick this is not a true tick, all of which in the mature form possess eight legs, but is a 

 true six-legged insect. It is in fact a member of the lowest-developed section of the 

 Diptera or Flies. It belongs to the Louse-flies or Ilippoboscidie. All of the members 

 of this small division are very abnormal both as to form and mode of reproduction. They 

 are all parasites living on birds and animals. Some are winged as those often found on 

 hawks, but the so-called Sheep Tick is wingless. Instead of laying eggs the louse-flies 

 retain the larvse inside the bodies of the females until they are full grown, only one 



