The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-09-03

it rapidly along the grain. From
these two ends extended two braces to
the back knot Of the sack, in order
that the hind end Of the apparatus
may be held as high as possible from
the ground, SO as not to break down
the grain with the knot. With this
apparatus sweep the field at night or
on wet days, when the locusts are
perched quietly on the grain, in such
a manner that the striking Of the ears
against the edge Of the sheet will lshake
off the locusts into bag. Bulging &
out with the pressure ofthe air, them.
sect will not escape, and can be des-
troyed by plunging into hot water.
HOW TO DESTROY THE EGGS AND
WINGLEss LOCUsTs.
But the practical question now is,
how to destroy the larvae or the just
Matched insect next spring? On this
important point all testimony unites
in the Importance of
Deep Rloaoi'eg.-The California FARM
er of July 5, 1855, says: "When the
soil is ploughed keep and early they
do not make such ravages."
A planter in Texas wrote as follows
in 1867, to the Department of Agri
culture at Washington: GAS soon al
the grasshopper has laid its eggs the
planters plough their fields and turf
the soil over so that the eggs will b.
buried under layer of earth, which
will crush them and thus destroy tn,
spring crop Of grasshoppers. Thi
experiment has been made in small
spots Of ground where myriads of egg
were deposited, and not a grasshoppe
came from under the layer of soil tina
covered the eggs.'
The Asiatic traveller, Locher, say
on this point: ''Deep ploughing, will
a view to crush the eggs under tn
weight Of the soil turned upon them
is undoubtedly recommendable, while
pigs and poultry allowed to roam owe
so plowed fields would greatly assis
in the determination of these locust
in embryo.'
| Proi,ie FSres.-As to the great un
occupied prairie adjoining the settle
ments Of Manitoba, they should nc
be burned this autumn. But mex
spring, when the young grasshoppe1
are yet wingless and the grass dry
set fire to it by concert between pa,
ishes and as much aspossible in circles
SO that the insects cannot escape fro1
the ring Of fire, but be driven by tn
heat and smoke into the centre
where they will eventually perish
the flames.
MENNONITE EXPERIENCE.
I have before me a paper transla
ed from the Russian (''On the NEAR
of Destroying the Grasshopper," b
V. Motschulksy, published by th
Smithsonian Institution in 1858
which presents an interesting syno]
sis Of the methods practiced in Soutl
ern Russia, including those occl
pied by the German or Mennonite co
onies.
In the autumn, as soon as the |:
bors of tillage permit, the peopl
provided with sharp sticks or hoes ft
| turning up the ground, proceed to CO
lect and destroy locust eggs. If tt
eggs are deposited in the fields {
sandy plains where ploughs and ha
rows can pass, the latter are made u
of. The egg-tubes are poured in
sacks and measured, the authoriti
t paying q bounty of ten cents for eve1
pint collected. If, after a hot sur
? mer, the fall and winter are equabl
; the search is renewed in the sprin
t After the young locusts appear
r the spring, parties with fiat wood
e shovels are detailed to surround Il
: plain where the broods appear, de
troying them and burning any residu
In addition, rollers made Of timb
i, and fixed on iron or wooden axle
8 and drawn by horses or oxen are, Sc
c from point to point, wherever al
mass of insects have escaped theabo
= precautions. Besides the role
as the insects acquire the use Of the
T. wings, the use of bags is found adva
n tageous-commencing the patrol
n the fields at daylight and continui1
J. until the morning dew is dried U
After the swarms commence tht
It flights, every plantation is as far
f. possible protected by smudges in t
n manner described above by Locher.
l. OLD WORLD CUSTOMS.
,, M. Motschulsky enumerates t
Il precautions in remote antiquity
l. we'll as in modern Europe, viii
y will warrant quotation for their
10 structive hints:
. "On the Island Of Lemnos, Gree
e it was ordered, that on the appearar
II Of the locust, each inhabitant shou
's furnish certain measure Of them
L the rural palace; and among
Is Cyrenians it was considered obliy
80 tory upon every one to take pa
IL three times a year, in the gene:
t. destruction Of these insects, first
~ trampling down the eggs (equival'
% to deep ploughing,) next:.to DESTROY
~ the young larvae, and lastly in kill
IL adult locusts. A neglect to obey
'e ordinance subjected the individual
general contempt, and was punish
ut as disobedience to the laws.
10 UT,o Tb;no II hos boo, tho ,,,1o e,