The anti-monopolist., 1876-09-07
Should our worst fears be realized,

Should our worst fears be realized,
and eggs laid to any considerable numb
er, the first duty Of our people is to
hunt out the places and by plowing and
narrowing the ground the eggs may be
largely destroyed. The road sides are
a favorite place of deposit, and if we
mistake not, there is a law Of the State
which allows poll and road taxes to be
expendedin the destruction of the pests,
which can be done this fall by plowing,
as we suggest. In all reasonable prob
abilities bounty will be provided by
the legislature this winter. If it is it
will be moderately remuneratlve. At
the first preceptible Matching, modes Of
destruction should be resorted to, such
as burning with straw, ditching, catch
ing, &C. One man equipped with a
horse and net. can IN a months time
protect from seventy-five to a hundred
acres. if the farmers Of the whole neigh
borhood will act In concert. The boun-
ty will at least pay the expense and the
crop will be saved. Last spring, some
farmers were successful in saving crops
by leaving rod or more in width of
broken land between their fences and
crops Still others We're remarkably
successful by placing deep bitches be-
tween the Matching grounds and their
fields, while ~ equally effective meth
od is to substitute a line of boards, plac-
ed III the form OF a worm fence, with a
deep pit ut the end where the boards
come together But there are plenty
OF methods Of protection which will be
developed and made known at the prop
cr time " hat is now wanted is for
| the farmers u accept the situation,
prosecute their farm labors as usual
this fall, shaping all their operations
with a view to an active, energetic and
successful war Of determination. The
| determination to do this ono formed is
half the victory Withpast experience,
We feel that the pest is not 50 much to
be dreaded as when the habits and
characteristics were wholly unknown.
Another important consideration is tc
see that meu are Sent to the legislature
this winter capable OF graphing witt
the sub blect--lnen of prudence good Judge
nent and intelligence, who, while they
they will extend every reasonable
and practicable aid to the determination
Of the grasshoppers, will at the Sam
time husband the public resources an'
make the burdens of taxation res
upon the people Of the State as light
IL possible.
We heartily second this latter sugges
tom The people should not send me-
to the legislature simply because the
are servlle tools of thisor that politician
but because of their ability to serve ther
intelligently in the grave crisis no'
upon them.
rs showing how much can be etiecte
by 4 vigorous effort to extermlnate tn
hoppers, the Review gives this Illus
tratlon OF the experience Of two towI
ships III its own county :
Il notable faet. worthy of men
ton. III this connection. that the grass
hoppers were very bad III the Rapidan
, but under the vigorous fight instigate
4 10y the county and local bonus, the 10,
was comparatively lisht-onlv so
buhels, aud the average yield Of til
. town, not including thus loss. was abou
| Ii bushels TO the acre The town ,
: | yt-a xNaS palteh l,SS otiaptai by .rr.1Ss
hoppers, vet It's loss is nearly 80
bushels III excess Of Rapidan, q SUI
/ more than sufficient to pay the loc'
: bounty ot the latter town.