MISCELLANEOUS 371 



ditch at the most convenient side, or where the ground is seemingly 

 lowest, and drain into this; an outlet, of com-se, is imperative. All 

 land that holds water for a day or so after heavy rain requires drain- 

 age. The benefits derivable are the sweetening of the soil, mak- 

 ing it accessible to roots to a much greater depth, freeing it of stagnant 

 water, and allowing healthy action to take place. Hard baked cylin- 

 drical tiles of 23/^-inch diameter, set from 2^ feet to 33^^ feet deep, ac- 

 cording to the stiffness or sogginess of the soil, is recommended. In the 

 larger areas these should be 30 feet apart. Two and a half inch pipe 

 will drain from 400 feet to 500 feet of ground. A good system is to 

 have a large central drain with obhque lateral feeders. There should 

 be a steady fall and good outlet. The tiles are laid on a flat foun- 

 dation, tightly butted end to end, and are covered over with sod, grass 

 side downward, or brush, or straw, or even paper, and the soil then 

 filled in on top. Where much drainage on cleared land has to be done, 

 lines can be cut to a considerable depth by ditching plows or subsoil 

 plows, the rest of the work being done by hand labor. 



Flies in Houses 



The common house fly is now generally known to be a very 

 dangerous insect, carrying disease germs far and wide. It lays its 

 eggs upon horse manure, and a great variety of decaying vegetable 

 and animal material. An individual fly may lay 120 eggs at one 

 time, and two to four batches may be laid. The eggs usually hatch 

 in less than 24 hours, and the period of emergence of the adult fly is 

 8 to 12 days. In a few days the young female is ready to deposit eggs. 

 There may be 10 to 12 generations every Summer, so that the number 

 of flies that it is possible to mature will thus readily be estimated. The 

 best preventive of aU, of course, is absolute cleanliness y especiaUy in 

 regard to decaying material; sticky fly papers are also used, fly traps, 

 which are obtainable in various patterns, fumigants, and the burn- 

 ing of fresh pyrethrum powder. Another way is to expose in shal- 

 low dishes a mixture of formalin and milk or water, sweetened with 

 a httle sugar; one teaspoonful of commercial formalin to one teacupful 

 of water or milk. Above all, however, cleanliness pays. 



Poison Ivy 



Poison Ivy (Rhus toxicodendron), which possesses an irritant 

 poison, and is usually found on trees, walls and fences, somewhat re- 

 sembles the Virginia Creeper. The plants, however, are easily dis- 

 tinguished by comparison of the leaves, the Poison Ivy having three 

 leaflets while the innocuous "Creeper" has five. The cheapest and 

 most effective method of eliminating Poison Ivy is the simple one of 



