564 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK vi. 



been found that where the warble maggots have been destroyed before 

 they drop from the cattle, there is little if any summer attack of warble- 

 flies. Consequently the cattle can rest in peace, and, as there is very 

 little egg-laying on them, there are scarcely any warbles in the following 

 spring. 



Squeezing out the maggots is a sure method of getting rid of them, 

 and they may be destroyed to a less complete extent by dressing the 

 warble with a little of McDougall's smear or dip, or by a little cart- 

 grease and sulphur, applied well on the opening of the warble. Mer- 

 curial ointment answers, if carefully used that is, in very small quantity, 

 and only applied once as a small touch on the warble ; but where there 

 is any risk of careless application it should not be used. Any thick 

 greasy matter that will choke the breathing-pores of the maggot, or 

 poison it by running down into the cell in which it lies and feeds, will 

 answer well ; and lard or rancid butter, mixed with a little sulphur, has 

 also been found efficacious. Tar answers if carefully placed, so as to be 

 absolutely on the hole into the warble. Bought cattle are' often badly 

 infested, and need attention. 



To prevent fly attack in summer, tram-oii rubbed along the spine, 

 and a little on the loins and ribs, is said to have been found useful ; also 

 the following mixture : 4 oz. flowers of sulphur, 1 gill spirits of tar, 1 

 quart train-oil; to be mixed well together, and applied once a- week 

 along each side of the spine of the animal. But experiments carried 

 out by the Irish Department of Agriculture have led that authority to 

 the conclusion that none of several dressings tried were effectual in 

 preventing fly attack, while some of them caused the hair of the animals 

 to fall off. We cannot accept this verdict, however, as the final one on 

 the subject. Further trials should be made with various smears, ex- 

 cluding those proved to have had a prejudicial effect upon skin and 

 hair. Still, as the trials extended over three seasons, their declared 

 results should be accepted provisionally, and attention, except by ex- 

 perimenters, should be concentrated upon the certain method of squeez- 

 ing out the maggots during the winter and spring. There is no doubt 

 that this is the best method of getting rid of the maggots, and of thus 

 preventing the development of numbers of flies. It is just possible, 

 however, that the conflict between English and Irish evidence may be 

 due to the fact that there are two varieties of the warble fly, one pre- 

 vailing generally in the former country, and the other in the latter. 



There are many other points that bear on prevention, including the 

 fact that warble flies are most active in heat and sunshine, and appear 

 not to pursue cattle over water ; consequently, it is desirable to allow the 

 cattle the power of sheltering themselves, and to give them access to 

 shallow pools. Likewise with regard to pastures, or standing-ground of 

 infested cattle, it is a matter of course that -where the maggots have 

 fallen from their backs thejlies will shortly appear to start new attacks. 



The attack of warbles is the cause of enormous national loss, esti- 

 mated by practical men at sums of from two millions to seven millions 

 pounds sterling per annum, at the least. 



