The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-09-10
The Grasshoppels.

}. W. Taylor, Esq, United States Con-
sui at Winncpcg, has contributed Il pa
per upon the grasshopper to the lNani
toban which is full Of interesting infor-
nation as to the ravages of this pest and
the methods of preventing and destroy
ing it. AS this lively insect is now at
work throughout nearly the entire West,
and is slowly but very surely working
its way East, Il brief statement of Mr..
Taylor's paper may suggest some timely
hints to the sufferers by it's depredations.
The grasshoppcr is an ancient enemy of
the crops and vegetation. Early men
Jesuit missions of California. The year
appeared in 174G, and afterward in 1853
and 1865, continuing three years. The
periods of great destruction in this cen
fury in California have been 1928, 1888,
1916 and 1866. In 1856 it did much in
jury in Texas and Kansas. Since the
settlement of Minnesota there have been
five grasshOppcr years: 1856, 1857, 1865,
1878 and 1874. In the Red River settle
mcnt it first appeared in 1912, then in
1919, and not again until 1857. After
! that it appeared in 1864, 1867, 1869, 1872
and now in 1874, with probability that
the ova will threaten the crops of 1875.
The remedies which Mr.. Taylor emu
mcratcs arc of three kinds l. Remedies
provided by nature. 2. Expedients by
man against the full grown grasshoppcrs.
3. Devices for destroying the eggs. The
remedies which nature has provided are
| the bright sunlight, which gives them an
instinct to "movc on insects, such as
the Tachina, which deposits its dcstruc-
tive larvae on the grasshopper, the ich-
ncumon and shOrt-wingcd ichneumOn :;
birds, such rs the startling, blackbird,
lark, jackuaw 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 ef-
feet, are as follows: l. Smudges, pro-
ducing a dense, sitting smoke, which
should be kindlcd an hour before sunrise
and kept fumigating so long rs the in
sccts are on the wing. ?. Roping them
off the grain to the ground and continu-
ing the operation until they fly. 3. Net
ting them in huge bags made of sheets
and then plunging them in hot water
4. Turning in cattle, hogs and poultry to
feed upon them. The most important
question is how to destroy the Larvae OF
the just Matched insect next spring. Ono
plan suggested is deep blowing. \
Texas planter wrote, in 1867, to the De
partment Of Agriculture as follows:
As soon the rasshoppcr has laid its egg
the planters pillow their fields and turn the sol
of earth which will crush them and thus dcstro,
the sprin" crop of grassh"pPcrs. This expert
mcnt has been made in small spots OF sronn'
where myriads of eggs were deposited and not
| "rasshoppcr came from under the layer of sol
| that covered the eggs.
The Asiatic traveller, Rochcr, also
says:
Deep blowing. with view to crush the egg,
under the weight of the soil turned upon them i.
| undoubtedly rccommcndablc. while pigs ant
, poultry allowed to roam over so plOwed field,
would greatly assi>t in the determination of thcs.
| locustS in embryo
Prairie fires, set as much as possible il
circles, so that the young insect canno
escape through the ring of fire. Thu
Mcnnonitcs collect the eggs in the fal
and destroy them, and in the spring rol
the ground with heavy rollers. In addi
tion to this they employ the smudge Yer,
frequently. On the island of Lemno
the people are required by law to furnish
a certain measure of the eggs annually tt
the authorities In China, also, the pco
pie are obliged to assemble in the sprin!
and effect the destruction of the Larvae
Ill rlaHCc, 1'aly, !iuhS"ly anu claii
rewards arc paid for the eggs. Aftc
summing up all the remedies Consu
Taylor recommends the people of Mani
toba to pillow not only all the fields dow
deep this fall, but all the high-roads ant
lanes, as these bare surfaces are the chic
breeding grounds. Then, if necessary
harrow the grounds and roll the surface
He also suggests the planting of the field
pea, which is unpalatablc to the grass
hopper, on the margin of every grain field
as it may divert the insect before it ha
become winged from passing the barrier
and systematic prairie burning in circles
and the frequent use of the smudgc
Whatever is to be done for the protection
of next years crops must be principal,
done this fall, and for this reason MI
Taylor's suggestions are both timely ant
valuable Tribune.