The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-10-02
The Grasshopper.

J. w. Taylor, Esq, United states Con
sui at Winnipeg. has contributed valua-
Die paper upon the grasshopper Ia thu
Mdnitobon' The grasshopper. he says, i
an ancientenemy OF the crops aud vegcta-
tlon. Early mention Is made OF him in
the records of the Jesuit missions of Cali
fornia. The year l122 was very disas-
trous one. Ii next appeared In l7i6. and
afterwards IN 1888 and 1865, continuing
three years. The periods OF great des-
truction in this century, in California.
have been ISIS. 1898, 1916 and 1850. In
1856, IL did much injury in Texas and
Kansas. Since the settlement of MinneSo-
"a there have been live gras shopper years (:
-ls56. 1857, 1860. 1873 and 1874. In the
Red River settlement. il first appeared in
1872, then in 1919, and not again until
1857. Amer that il appeared in 1864. 1867,
1863, 1872 and now I'm 1874, with proba.
bility that the ova will threaten the crops
OF 1875.
The remedies which Mr.. Taylor emu
merltes are ofthree kinds: |. Remedies
provided by nature. ,. Expedients by
man against the tull-grown graSshopper.
3. Devices for destroying the eggs. The
remedies which nature has provided are
the bright sunlight, which gives them an
instinct TO move on - insects, such as
the Tdchind, which deposits its destruct-
i've larvae on the grasshopper. the ichneu-
mon and short-wingeL ichneumon birds.
such as the startling, blackbird. lark, Jack
daw and domestic fowls: and the driving
of herds of animals over the spots infested
by them.
The human agencies against the full
grown insects. which have thus far been
used with effect, are as follows: |.
producing dense, sitting
smoke, which should be kinded an hour
before sunrise and kept fumigating so long
AS the insects are on the wing. ?. Rop-
ing them off the grain tc the ground, and
the operation until they fly. 3.
Netting them in huge bags made of sheets
and then plunging them in hot water. !
4. Turning in cattle. hogs and poultry 10
feedupon them. The most important
question is how 10 destroy the larvae or
the just-hatched insect next spring. one |
plan suggested is deep blowing. A Texas /
planter wrote, in 1861, TO the Department |
81 Agriculture as follows: "As sOOnas the /
yrasshopper has laid its eggs the planters \
Dlow their fields and turn the soil over so /
hat the eggs will be buried under a LAYER
u earth, which will crush them. ana thus \
icsirOy the spring crop of gra~ShOpperS.
This experiment has been made IN small I
pots OF ground where myriads of eggs
we're deposited, and not grasshopper
anne from under the layer of soil that COW
red the eggs"
The Asiatic traveller. Locher. also saws
Deep blowing. with view 10 crush the
gigs under the weight OF the soil turned
'pon them. is undoubtedly recommend
bile, while pigs and poultry allowed to
Dam over so-plowed fields would greatly
-ssist in the determination of these locusts
n embryo"
Prairie fires are recommended. set as
much as possible in circles. 20 that the
Dung insects cannot escape through the
ing OF fire. The MennOnitcs collect the
gigs in the fall and destroy them. aud in
he spring roll the ground with heavy roll .
rs. In addition to this. they employ the
nudge very freely. On the island OF
.emnos, the people are required by law to
lrnish certain measure OF the eggs an
ually to the authorities. In China, also.
he people are Obliged 10 assemble in the
pring and effect the destruction Of the
irv9. In France, Italy. Hungary. and
pain rewards are paid for the eggs. After
lmming up all the remedies, Consul Tay-
lr recommends the people of Manitoba 10
low not only all the fields deep down this
III, but all the high roads aud lanes. a.
lcse bare surfaces are the chief breeding ,
rounds. Then, II necessary. harrow the ,
rounds and roll the surface. He also /,
lggests the planting of the field-pie. which ,
unpalatable 10 the grasshopper. on the ,
largin OF every gTain-field. rs il NAV di- :
ert the insect before il has become winged !
ON passing the barrier: and systematic !
in circles. and the frequent (;
e of the smudge. !