. Australian Garden and Field. ()ctober 1913 Sheep and Blowflies. The bloAvlly is oiw of llu- most frisky of the \vin<i-e<i insects. Its disturl)infr intluciicc on the oomlort of mankind and our domestic ani- mals demands a jjeneral crusade. The blowfly takes care to ojyerate on the sheep in places where the animals cannot displace it. There it ])ropa(jates its species, and the only remedy the stockowner can conceive is clippino- awa\i the wool from the crutch of the animal and applvinii some chemicals obnoxious to the fly. While " crutchin<r " the sheep in the manner descri
. Australian Garden and Field. ()ctober 1913 Sheep and Blowflies. The bloAvlly is oiw of llu- most frisky of the \vin<i-e<i insects. Its disturl)infr intluciicc on the oomlort of mankind and our domestic ani- mals demands a jjeneral crusade. The blowfly takes care to ojyerate on the sheep in places where the animals cannot displace it. There it ])ropa(jates its species, and the only remedy the stockowner can conceive is clippino- awa\i the wool from the crutch of the animal and applvinii some chemicals obnoxious to the fly. While " crutchin<r " the sheep in the manner described en- tails much trouble and expense to the flockmaster, it is not perman- ently ellective. In fact, the em- bryo of the flies is cut off with the wool and permitted to seek cover in the soil, when, in due course, it ai^ain resuscitates into active life countless number of the species. As it seems humanlv; im- possible to destroy all flies of anv kind once they are enabled to take flic^ht, it is therefore obviously es- sential to endeavour to control the sources. The New South Wales Entomologist (Dr. Froesjatt) re- cently said that durintr the last few years many mixtures, dips, and powders have been in use in all parts of the State—with more or less success as lasting cures — to keep the flies from. blowin<r the wool or reinfestine damp or soiled, a safe fecd- inc^ place for fresh majrjrioits. Con- se(iuently it is very dilticult to find anv dressing that can be lastinjj; on close-wooUed sheep or ccaie months before shcarinji', especiiiUv when the .shec]) arc full-fleeced. The damagre of the .sheep is caused bv the maj^'gots of two common yel- low blowflies found in both the house and bush all the A'ear round. It is not a little remarkable that farmers and graziers, when dres-sing their sheep, never consider the subsequent development of blowflies which the operation may cause. They throw on the ground the damasred wool when cnitch- ing, and scra,pe the maggots out of
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