XXX WARBLE FLY. 



that our average loss as calculated above is 6s. 8d., not quite up to the 

 lowest sum noted from Chicago.* 



" The amount of this loss can be better appreciated, perhaps, by 

 reproducing in condensed form the approximate estimate of the loss 

 on the hides of cattle received at the Union Stock-yards of Chicago 

 during the grubby season, which includes the months from January to 

 June. Using the reports by States above given as a basis, it is 

 estimated that fifty per cent, of the cattle received are grubby. The 

 average value of a hide is put at 3-90 dollars ; and while, from the 

 report referred to, one-third value is the usual deduction for grubby 

 hides in this estimate, but 1 dollar is deducted, or less than one-third. 

 The number of cattle received in 1889 for the six months indicated 

 was 1,335,026, giving a loss on the fifty per cent, of grubby animals, 

 667,513 dollars. When to this is added the loss from depreciated value 

 and lessened quantity of the beef, the amount for each infested animal 

 is put at 5 dollars, indicating a total loss on these animals from the 

 attack of the fly of 3,337,565 dollars."— See ' Insect Life.' Periodical 

 Bulletin of U. S. A. Department of Agriculture. Vol. ii.. No. 5, pp. 

 156, 157. Washington, U. S. A. : Government Printing Office. 



As it is of a good deal of interest to be able in some degree to 

 compare the proportion of warble-presence in infested cattle, and also 

 estimates of rate of money-loss thereby in countries which (as in the 

 present case) suffer connectedly by reason of cattle-traffic from this 

 cause, I give the preceding observation, with some amount of estimate 

 as to amount of warble-presence, and injury from it, in the U. S. A. ; 

 reference to the original reports is subjoined in the foot-note. 



The great points of our national loss from warble-infestation turn 

 on loss of health and sometimes death of the beasts, loss of milk, 

 injury to produce in the herd, and loss of flesh in the fatting beasts. 

 All this falls on the cattle owner, but also there is enormous loss 

 runnbuj through all classes concerned on the warbled hides. 



* During the year 1889, very widely extended investigations regarding warble- 

 attack were set on foot, under the superintendence of Mr. A. S. Alexander, 

 Member of the Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland, and whilst still in 

 this country one of the contributors to my own Annual Keports, then Editor to the 

 ' Farmer's Keview ' of Chicago, U. S. A. Circulars were sent out by the proprietors 

 of the paper over an enormous area of stock-producing country, and much informa- 

 tion sent in, of which some was valuable, some not so, but when sifted and arranged, 

 the reports are well worth attention. 



These will be found at length in the ' Farmer's Eeview ' (Offices 134, Van Bureu 

 Street, Chicago, lUinois, U. S. A.), in Nos. for July 17th, 24th, 31st, and for August 

 7th and 14th, 1889 ; and an abstract of these reports was published in the U. S. A. 

 Department of Agriculture Bulletin entitled ' Insect Life ' for Nov. 1889. 



None but those very intimately concerned could be expected to wade through 

 the mases of reports sent in, which I have, however, still at hand, but the above 

 short abstract is of considerable interest. 



