The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-23
TIE LOCUST PLAGUE.
How the Farmers Get Rid Of Them in
Asia and Africa.

How the Farmers Get Rid OF Them in
Asia and Africa.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:--
For the benefit Of the sufferers from the locust
plague in the Northwest allow me- through the
medium OF your paper, TO give those Western
farmers some sincere advice. l have been Tor
many years resident OF countries annually visited
by this dire scourge. In Northwestern India,
Mesopotamia, Syria and South Africa, haye care.
1ully watched the habits of this most destructive
Of all insects, as well as the manner in which the
natives OF those countries used to combat the re.
lentless intruder. 1t IL q remarkable fact that the
regions mostly invaded by l0custs are VIGOROUSLY
destitute OF wOCd-indeed, Of fuel Of any kind
yet to my astonishment have noticed that the
natives Of all those districts invariably employed
this very article, or rather its smoke, wherewith
to oppose the invading host. As. however, their
success depends upon the quantity and density OF
the smoke which they can produce, and wood
being much too scarce in those regions to
be burned extensively and peat and coal
altogether unknown there. the inhabitants
carefully collect all the dung Of their
camels, horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, COWS,
sheep, goats, &C., mix it with chopped straw,
grass or roots shape the mixture into round
cakes about seven inches in diameter by about
an inch and half In thickness and dry
them in the sun. These cakes, called "Chow.
pattee," by the natives OF Western India,
constitute the principal, and in mauy dis
tricts only fuel not only In India, but also in
Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria, Arabia Egypt, North
Africa and many other countries They burn as
freely as good peat, but create q dense, stining
smoke, the very thing needed to keep an invading
locust host at bay or at least to cause 1t to devate
In ITS course OF obstruction. indeed, have often
seen these 'Chowpattee" fires burned with really
wonderful effect Tor that purpose. Their efficacy,
OF course, depends altogether upon proper man.
agemens. as they have to be lighted before the
tires are intended to protect
The locusts seldom or ever take TO their wings
before sunrise ana rarely ever "rit ayl after
be found TO be, very restless, easily dis.
(tise) again II approached Dy either man or beast
10 within distance OF ten leet. During the night
say settled on the ground and feeding voraciously
but IN less than two hours they Will drop into
utterly unable to take to their wings. Taking ad-
vantage Of TINS cOmatOse and temporary helpless
condition Of the locusts, the inhabitants o. the
countries above mentioned drive all their camels,
horses, mules, donkeys, oxen, cows sheep and
goats over the ground covered by the obnoxious
insects, which are trampled to death and crippled
by the million under the animals feet. Let our
distressed settlers OF the Northwest initiate
matter their uncivilized fellow sufferers OF Asia
and Africa. Let them kindIe brisk fires early in
the morning, at least one hour before sunrise, all
slple let them Elndle them all along that side in
the direction OF which they expect the Invasion of
the locusrs. The fires should not be more than 100
yards apart--the closer the better Coai, tar half
dried peat, or still less expensive matter, such as
grass. sods, wet straw green brushwood, reeds.
mas, refuse leather and hides, cast Off shoes and
rags--in TACT, any thing that will create dense,
sive should be freely thrown into those fres and
vigorous Immigration should be kept up IRON sun
rise TIL sunset. or as long as the locusts are ION
the wing"
Locusts "or the wing,"t. e. settled down for the
night, are probably best destroyed In the manner
fields cove ed by the ocusis, Will be as servtceable
In me insects to DEATH as large herds Of
keys, oxen, cows sneep, goats pigs, poultry, dogs
cats, gazelles, anteiopes, &C.. eat i've locusts
d ns wlt 1ns a'n TO but nave
decayed locusts. Pigs and poultry, however, can
eat them in any condition, appear to relish them
and actually grow rolling lat on tnls diet. In all
the towns and villages botn sides OF the Persian
Gulf, In those along tue eastern coast OF ARABIA
many other places, locusts are sold in considerable
quantities in the public markets or bazaars and
for the pooer asses Of me TSe4
are generally sold in the market either In
pic1ed, sailed sun-dried or roasted state,
as they, like fish, cannot be Kept fresh longer than
a few nours alter death. have often tasted them
while strolling through the pazaars. when l hap.
pened TO see them exposed Tor sale just fresh aud
crisp from tle roast, but never could Ego tn m
raw" rhev taste very much ike shrimp but
when not perfectly fresh they have an unpleasant
temptlple tood. Farmers, who lack large herds Of
cattle to drive them over the locusts, or VINO hive
too isolated to get crowd OF people together TO
march over them might use large, heavy stone OF
iron rollers tsuch as are used in smoothing
ne WY macadamiZed ruads), drawn by horses or
oxen over the fields covered by locusts, and thus
crush and cripple mlllicns OF them In lew hours.
In driving cattle rollers over sucn fields the
farmers cannot possibly inJure their crops AS much
as the locusts would do II they were lett unmo-
Tested The eggs or larvG OF the insect, because OF
their being deposited IN the ground, and, there
lore rather difficult To get at are not SO easily
destroyed az the July developed locust Itself Deep
ploughing. with view 10 crush them under the
weight Of the soil turned upon them, undoubtedly
recommendations wnile pigs and poultry allowed TO
roam over SO ploughed fields would greatly assist
in the determination OF these locusts In embryo.
All chemical nostrums must prove virtually i'm
practicable owing 10 their expensiveness, where
fore honestly believe the n1OduS Operdndf above
described TO oe as yet the most practical and Inc
pensive one to contend with the locust plague, and
sincerely recommend II herewith to our distressed