Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

PESTS OF THE WOODS 245Simmer for half an hour, and when cooladdOil pennyroyal i ounce.There arc many others of similar nature, but the aboveare as good as any. . . . Now as to use of above: applyfreely and frequently to all exposed parts of person, anddo not ^as/i off until leaving the place where the pestsabound. You can wash your eyes in the morning, andwash the palms of your hands as often as may be necessary,but if you wish to be immune, don't wash any other exposedparts. , . . When you get accustomed to it you willfind some compensating comfort. ... I have had to contendwith mosquitoes, deer-flies, black-flies, and midges . . . andhave found " dope " with tar in it the best. I know thatwhere mosquitoes are not very bad, oil of citronella, oil ofverbena or of lemon-grass or of pennyroyal mixed withvaselin will keep them ofi^, if the mixture is applied frequently.These essential oils are quickly evaporated, however,by the heat of the body. Camphorated oil is also usedby some; this is simply sweet oil with gum camphor dissolvedin it: the camphor is volatile and soon evaporates.. . . Now I don't much like tar dope because I can notwash my face and hands as often as I could wish ; but whenit is necessary to get some trout, without being worried toomuch by the insects, I can stand the tar for a few days."Doctor L. O. Howard, Chief of the Bureau ofEntomolog}^ U. S. Department of Agriculture,recommends the following tar dope:" Fishermen and hunters in the North Woods will findthat a good mixture against mosquitoes and black-flies canbe made as follows: Take 2^ pounds of mutton tallow,melt and strain it. While still hot add 5^ pound black tar(Canadian tar), stir thoroughly, and pour into the receptaclein which it is to be contained When nearly coolstir in 3 ounces of oil of citronella and ij^ ounces of pennyroyal."It is my own experience that tar glazes do thework when the weather is comparatively cool, butwhen it is so hot that one perspires freely both bynight and day there is no chance for a glaze to beestablished. The stuff melts and runs in your eves.A hard rain will wash it off. Thick dopes, more orless sticky, are unpleasant at all times, and especiallyat night. For these reasons, and for appearance*sake, most people will prefer to use a fluid or un-