The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-05-07
HAYES'S BUG COMMISSION.
THEIR PLANS FOR Ex TERNINfTTy
GRisSHOPPEfS REJECTED
= Colorado Farmer writes About TITS Prac-
teal Expericnce-Thc Government Commits
siouers' Late OmcinI Visit TO Minnesotn.

DENVER, Col, April &c, 1s77.-The Commits
sion Of Scientific Entomologists. appointed UNI
der an act Of Congress ut n cost Of 100 having
remained In Washington some two months
gathering Information on the grHsshouper.
which they are directed to investigate. have
permitted n synopsis Of directions to be sent out
TO us. IN order that we may he prepared in time
TO fight the enemy. We are told that bulletins
will be issued from time TO time to keep US post
ed, and that in the fall full annual report will be
made. but at present we are first TO plough from
four to six inches deep. and then roll the ground
50 that the young fry cannot reach the surface ;
next that we should plant early ripening corn.
and put il in carly; next, that when young the
grasshoppers are inactive. and they huddle to-
gcther and can he driven almost as easily as
sheep. hence they can he burned by having
straw thrown over them; next. they may be
Killed with Kerosene, though the method IL not
stated, and by being beaten with fiat wooden
shovels; next, bitches should be dug two feet
deep into which they are driven. whore they will
die and In such numbers Ms to smell like carrion 4;
next. they can he caught in nets and scines. like
quails, and finally machine H. described that
runs low on the ground. and having fire
aboard which burns them rs they hop up SO
that two men and a team can clear twelve acres
in day.
Now it is as clear as day that these directions
are given by men whc have no practical knowl-
edge of grasshoppers. and that the whole bull.
lctin Is IA collection of vague theories. based on
gursses and imaginings poughing is to be
done in the fall. not in the spring. and.
wheat is sown. II might be useful for
corn ground We're II not the fact that the
trasshupIrrs hnNe now Matched out be-
lore the corn ~ planted. and for the more i'm
portant fact that the young ones do not hurt
corn. ne, tu.y cannot live ON plough ID ground
ones which destroy corn. and this in August
and September. but II Is not early ripening corn
W" need 10 plant hut two other sorts. the foliage
o. Whnh IL dsllst'iul To th'm, VIZ: the
whit" Mexican and the white Australian.
IL Is certainly new 10 Colorado farmers that
me Young grlsshopper il inactive or can
be driven like sheep; for. on the con-
trary. they may be- compared in activity
to fleas. and as To- driving them. the idea
is absurd. II is an open question whether
they "an he Killed IN conside rahlc numbers by
Kerosene. hut If SO. II II only hy putting this
iiuid in running diicos by which irrigaing is
done. and then sweeping the pests into the
water. The writer ha, tried this remedy pour
INK keru-"ne ~ blu" 81 i'm over the water. and
the young fellows srrm 10 com" out ~ Lively as
ever. But inagin. the iask of clearing even an
acre n this way. once cleared about half an
acre 10y swapping them INTO iurrows tire" frrt
apart filled with swiftly running water and
i"r'. when tn"v az" tn" crop g. ~" ground. A.
Z" Tli hing them IN ~cincs and nets the idea IL
80 absurd tln the people mere "an bat hugh at
n. me dos 'riptlun of IN" machine H.
undoubtedly taken from AN account printed
several years ago. of tho first ono ~ the Kind
made in Colorado: hut other mach mes now i'm
use. Ii j. doubtful whether these Commission
"rs ever saw Young .grls-houp"rs. for It seems
certain that II th"s had they would not permit
su II foolish directions to- be- ,.,'nt abroad.
Bui thor" is another part 81 their bulletin
whirh j. more ridiculous thnn all the rest. Tins
y IN regard Y, lrotc ing irut AMI shad" ir""S
Tor We are told that t. prevent the youn. grass
hopp"rs from climbing the tr"'-. M, trunks
Should lg wllit'wn-hri. or. what - still better "A
strip u bright tin three or four inches wids
should bee mckel the tree. cheaper method
paper. and care shoull br taken to unload the
trees Of their vortipu- freight lu-l b.ore nj Kit.
II all THE hat hui us origin ma "A Government
comm s~lon it might h.. suspected to h. one of
III" Hon. Eli Perkins, Jokes. for the young
gras-nopp.rs de- not ,limh trees Al nil ana If IL
no u.s. for them to climb. because generally the
tres are So late there il nothing for them In
eat II is the fiylng grnsshopr,rs that gnaw
whcr" iruit can b. grown II doubtful. because
IN Utah, the best fruit country in the Tn ted
Sthl's' my hhN' neutrality-suspicious. more
by lastneount- this learned body 81 scientific
cnt"muugl~i- bad torn thrnis iV.- away from
NHsrihEi"n ana an - pleasures. and started
irr Mnn'-oin. which STATE na~ portion of IL,
T.siern countieS ds,a.,r.ted ana the p.oilr
,l"f" Sem "a N M mat n IA" commission
comes e. them first It viii "A, once exercise
Ii tho commission had begun in a tcachable
spirit 1t SHOULD have prp"'''l"d - Utah ~
ite earliest pusstn" day, and learned from
o." people who have been il-shtinggras-hOrp cr-
for more than tw"utv-nvr years nnd ndVi H.
Colorado. wh.rrt.i i.At has boon ,,oin. IN for
iiii"n ycar~. and whore SOM, real progress has
ls'u iuad' lu 90 strn' Iu- and ma cirrumNrntiug
the ,u .iuN lu VI .Uf. .-ifa a.ri--hopl.r~ arr.
n'W.hui NnN ir'uu~ IN" immigrants hayrsour
forward Wininr country which they have pos.
L'f ne inok ~ thr ,a-H dis Il =. Tho grass
hopper ltinu-- tpa div climate it- ,lt.s arr.
l'd 100 drN soil ami iurv arc NAV 'h.i oui in %
dry One. Breeding eannoi Do. carried On In a
N.,.' soll' ~ me molsiurr i .ss".v'- th.. eggs.
riinn Ws miles long az leu~i. and about the
same d" where til" graS-hopprr- find their
natural HON" and breeding grounds and any
pan winch looks toward DESTROY M them or
pr'Noutng tholr Il glts over this va eAt.nt So
~ L. nm h'sh ihriI numu'is. - futile.
word her" nhout their number. II the phrase
II hppl'ahlr. Oar tOmnss lonrrs recommend,
=. Is an important remedy that in~,-t-eat NJ birds
d" preserved, hut II n dpuNtiui. If all tine birds
in the United States 'ould be driven into Colo
RADIO I'll = sprins, whether a .nglc hushel of
RADIO keep from 81 To- l00chickons. and IN grass
hopper time in August such nD'ks Will clear "A
sl@." 81 ten or fifteen feet around "A barn. and
nr X Of 100 ariiN" turkeys wall clean about an
a r.. On the young grnsshoppcrs poultry feed
I'll they g"t tlrl. AMI then stop. leaving, Hppar-
entity. ~ many n h.inre they began hlrin.,
lhc> prs nt days the young grasshopp"rs are
heard IN thr road rs one walks. cracking aS
thcy jump iAe dry weeds. and looNinE down
IN" VIII 49," ia" nliirs ola and sprlu.slng lax
fi'us. and the dust of the earth seems to he
trhhsi1rm'd INTO them, such multitud"s arr
Wy. In sumner they an h' seen about noon.
gay hit'r day lying southeast. apparently 500
t"t deep. AMI a mile or 50 broad hut some
I'm = al TINS hour tilry come down ON YOU,
iHiing much like snowiHkrs. slHniing and
"h-lly, and in half an noun IN" world is covered
with them, gardens disappear. and trees nre
loaded. So. week after week. cv, n month after
month, the say is illnd with thcm. 1t is. ut
course. only the mcr,st traction that comes
90 Wn.
We woull Ike to know perhaps more as a
matter Of curiosity than Tor any good tnat can
ur.S', whore Trey AN 80 10. W. know wei.
enough Whf Noe they como. for now, I'm
about four weeks our own yodng r.,
Will Ice large enough To ny. and aNHl
they Will ~; aud they hatch ont all
over tins mt rinr r'Elur, hut tv'rs here.
cNnHty. hat ON sandy knobs and plains
over th' H. ,nds ot suu.tr nulr. aud ina num-
beers apphrmly greater than 81 AL the sands Of
tL' shore. Whether the Graz shopper Commits
son can do any good In uncertain. But their
th'orl1ing II Of no Kind OF consequence. and g.
lniOrm us and IN" world how they uy their
'gL-. how many lrgs they have. and when they
como ana when they go. is nttlr better than
moun-hlne. We want 10 save our crols lnG
e. do tins tho grdsshopDors mus, Toe Kept away.
The lighting purt n 'olrrahll we'll Understood
II Will D" improved hereafter, hut when most
succt sslul. II can only snve "A part. The roai
ring 20 do Is Ia prevent their aligil'ing ia the
summer season; for If they 90 not nliE,t. they
will lay no eggs. Once on the earth. they eat
every ,rat and green tang; then they lay their
eggs ,lHt hat the following spring. Ii the
air could bee iillod with some noNious ume-sny
of burning sulpnir-tO prevent their falling