92 
WARBLE FLY. 
To those deposits I have used carbolic acid mixed with hog’s lard, in 
the proportion of one to twenty, with excellent effect.”—T. Duckham, 
Baysliam Court, Ross. 
“ I promised to write you again regarding dressing cattle against 
the Warble Fly. My experience at present is that they lie much 
quieter in the fields, and appear far more contented after being dressed 
than without. I dressed them with McDougall’s Smear, and then 
powdered them over with flour of sulphur.”—T. Rogers, The Homme, 
Dilwyn, Leominster. 
“ I am glad to say that we found McDougall’s Smear effectually 
killed the warble grubs. The mode of dressing we adopted was to 
shape a piece of wood or stick like a knife-blade with a point. We 
searched carefully for the warble-liole ; then, with a plentiful dip of 
smear on the wooden blade, we put the point in the warble-hole, and 
gave it several turns in the hole, leaving a good portion of the smear 
on the warble ; this appeared to completely choke up and kill the 
maggot. The mode of dressing to kill the warble was not painful to 
the cattle ; those that were quiet appeared to like the friction, as I can 
believe the warble to give perpetual irritation. As a preventative from 
attack we rubbed a quantity of dry sulphur upon the back of our dairy 
cattle, from the shoulder to hip on each side of the spine, and a little 
on the brisket. We believe the sulphur had the desired effect, as our 
cattle were quiet in their pastures, while I could see some herds near 
were much tormented. The dressing was repeated frequently; the 
brisket was dressed to keep the gadfly away. We used sulphur as 
being free from smell, and not liable to taint the milk. Our 
young cattle are much more troubled” [it was then purposed to dress 
them.— Ed.] ; “ they stand in water the greater part of the hot days, 
with no trees to shade them. At times they set off full gallop to a 
shady place, stay for a time, and back again. The calves (six 
months old) are more quiet; they have shady trees and a cool bank 
by water to lie upon. These, I have noticed, are not disturbed, while 
those twelve months older (named above) are much excited, and these 
not more than 200 yards distant from each other.”— David Byrd, 
Spurstow Hall, Tarporley, Cheshire. 
The following notes give some further observations of success in the use of 
carbolic acid, and of mercurial ointment, for hilling maggots in the 
warble; but more especially regard the good effect of greasy applica tions, 
easily procurable, such as cart-grease or lard, and rancid butter, 
especially when mixed with sulphur. 
“ I applied cart-grease to the backs of twelve cows. In two days 
after I examined the animals, and found all the warble-maggots dead. 
I have also tried six with cart-grease and sulphur. Both methods of 
