The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-05-26
From Iowa.

WEST SIDE, Crawford Co., May %, 1877,
Edjtoys free 7rador-As this is the season
for the production of grasshoppers, and be-
ing farmer In one of the western counties of
Iowa where they have done much damage
for the last two years, it may be interestingly
La Sale county farmers to learn something
of their habits. Last year broke half sec
ton of prairie, getting through breaking the
first of August. About that time the hoppers
commenced depositing their eggs. They Sc.
lect new breaking and Travelled roads, no
matter how hard the ground may be, dig o.
hole about one fourth OF an inch deep, and
Law their eggs, from six to ten eggs attached
together in the shape of fine web, somethingl
like the silk worm. There they remain until
next season, when the warm sun matches
them out, Freezing docs not ipJure the egg
They will not deposit their eggs On the prairie
if they can find land which has been broke
the same year. -Four weeks ago discovered
that on my breaking they were hatchiHg out
very rapidly. l then commenced cross plow'
ing, preparing my land for crops,-plowlng
five inches deep, turning the hoppers under
the sod, they being very small, not more than
one third the size of an ordinary house fly.
In this way am satisfied destroyed two.
thirds; also turning the eggs not Matched I'M
der so deep that many Of them Will be &c
stroyed. Yet We have just now great many
hoppers Thus far they have done no dam
age As we have much rain and cool wealth
er they have not grown much, and now we
have discovered remedy, and If any farmer
will invest five dollars and not be wasting his
time in town, as many do out here, they can
save their crops. This is machine made OF
sheet iron. Take sheet eight feet long, at
tach sheet the whole length so as to form a
back, also strip 20 either end; then three
yards OF muslin, lay on the bottom of the iron,
saiuratc the muslin with kerosene oil, say one
quart; then a rope TO either end Of this ma
chine a boy to each rope pulling the machine.
The hoppers will jump into it, and the in
slant their feet touch the saturated cloth II
kills them am working the machine and
am confident can save my crops | caught
IN less than two hours three pecks of hoppers.
Small grain here never looked better at this
season. Farmers have put in extra large
crops of small grain, and are nearly through
planting corn | am putting in 20O acres oil
corn-will finish In few days If the west
ern counties get good crops and good prices
this year they will be able to hold their farms,
but if the crops prove failure one third or
more of the farmers will be obliged to give
up, as their farms are mortgaged for the
original purchase price.
,. Hoppers grow very slowly. 1t will be tht
middle of July before their wings are large
enough TO carry them away. Then with the
first southeast wind they will leave us, anc
those that leave some other district are liable
, to drop down on us, the latter often doing
more damage than those that hatch here
Crops then aye almost full grown and we car
not guard against them, although last yea
they dia but little damage. Those that hatch
I'd here did the most destruction. Our sol
west of the western slope in Iowa is prctt,
) well adapted 10 the hopper, being of II sand,
, nature. Should they reach you, as their cours
is eastward, am satisfied they would no
5 stay long, as your soil Is not mixed enough
: with sand They prefer sandy soil which
beng warmer, matches the egg more readily
: Truly yours,
j. WILLIAM BARGER