WHITE GRUBS IN LAWN. 73 



feeding upon minute particles of decaying vegetable or animal 

 matter found therein. They become full grown in about 

 twelve days, turn into pupae, and in from ten to sixteen days 

 (Osborn) come forth as full grown fleas. Thus the time 

 elapsing from the laying of the egg to the perfection of the 

 flea is, in round numbers, about forty days. 



Houses where rugs are used in place of carpets, or straw 

 matting, allowing of a frequent, thoro shaking and clean- 

 ing of the rugs, and a frequent and thoro sweeping of the 

 bare floors, coupled with a scrubbing or other special treat- 

 ment of the latter, are naturally less troubled than houses 

 where the floor coverings are fastened down, thus allowing 

 the insects to develop without disturbance. When serious 

 infestation of a house occurs, carpets in infested rooms should 

 be generously dusted with Persian insect powder. If this 

 treatment is not successful, carpets and floors as far as possi- 

 ble should be sprayed with benzine, or gasoline, proper precau- 

 tion being taken to prevent the fumes coming in contact with 

 lights and fires during the operation and for some hours 

 afterward. If necessary, and in addition to the above, car- 

 pets or matting should be taken up, thoroly beaten out of 

 doors, and the floors thoroughly washed with hot soapsuds, 

 taking care to reach every crevice. One writer claims that 

 spraying a badly infested house, inside, with pennyroyal, a 

 somewhat expensive process, will quickly drive them from the 

 building. 



The cat or dog can be made to sleep on a rug provided 

 for the purpose, and this rug shaken into some receptacle, and 

 the dust containing the eggs and maggots burned. This of 

 itself would be a decided help. 



For ridding a cat or dog of fleas, Creolin, for sale at many 

 drug stores, is the best agent known to us. For dogs' use four 

 teaspoonfuls of this liquid in a quart of water ; for cats, two 

 teaspoonfuls in a quart of water. Shake well and apply with 

 the hands or a brush, or make enough to submerge the animal. 

 The latter is the best method, holding the animal in the liquid 

 until the fur is completely saturated. The animal requires no 

 further washing. The fleas upon the fur will all be killed and 

 the fur benefited. Floors may also well be treated with this 

 same preparation, using it twice as strong as for dogs, and the 

 animal's bedding or matting upon which it sleeps can be fre- 



