Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-07-12
THE GRASSHOPPER PEST,
GraSsh0ppers Are Devastating Large
Sections of Minnesota.
Method Used For Their Destruction.

I
| Minneapolis Tribune: Dr.. Otto Lug
| ger, entomologist OF the Minnesota ex-
| perimental station, has returned from
| Otter Tail county, where he has been
fighting grasshoppers, and gives an IN
terestlng account of his work. Shortly
after his arrival there, a month ago, he
was called to investigate threatening
scourge IN the Red River Valley. He
found immense numbers Of the Rocky
mountain locusts Matching out and nearly
ready to do great damage. They first
came TO Gorham township, in Otter Tail
county, four years ago. The next spring
they Matched out on a small area covering
only about three acres. The next year
about forty acres were required for their
operations, and last year they covered
four or five thousand acres. The present
year they are Matching out over an srea
OF about one hundred square miles.
Some colonies separated from the main
body last year, Dr.. Lugger having found
one OF those nsar Battle Lake, thirty-two
miles south of the original swamp. He
was on his way to attend a farmers in
| stitute at Battle Lake when he discovered
this colony. When the real magnitude
of the play was discovered DR.. Lugger
put of post haste and asked Gov McGill
| to render the state aid in preventing the
ravages and spread of these voracious
| insects. The request was granted, and
the state has already furnished 220 bar
rels of kerosene and tar, besides sheet
iron and other supplies. The farmers
were organized, and even the trades
| people IN town induced to shut up shop
half of each day and aid in saving the
crop. The county commissioner ap-
propriated $1,000 to pay for the boerd of
volunteer laborers.
There are three principal methods of
destroying the insects. Where the land
had been plowed for wheat none Matched
out, as inverting the soil destroyed the
eggs, and no hoppers were found in the
fields of growing wheat; but from adjoin-
ing fields, especially those where wheat
was grown last year and then abandoned
without blowing; they came in armies,
sweeping the fields before them. In
travelling this way line of march is
formed, before which every green thing
disappears. When DR.. Lugger left on
Thursday some fields were eaten into
several rods. The methods adopted prior
to the arrival of kerosene and tar was to
dig ditch two feet deep and two wide
just in advance of the approaching host.
A few inches of straw is then placed in
the bottom, and the locust are driven into
it by walking slowly along behind them.
They cannot jump out, and are burned;
or, if straw is not to be had, they are
killed by drawing log through the ditch.
The tar is used by placing it into a
shallow sheet-iron pan two feet wide and
| eight feel long, with wide board fasten-
| ed to one side. This is drawn sidewise
| across the field, the hoppers jumping
against the board and falling into the
tar, where they perish. But the handler,
more rapid, and most complete method
is to use kersene on canvass against which
the pests jump. Strong muslin canvass
a yard wide ard fifteen feet long, is
| stretched on frame and carried on a
sled-like arrangement pulled by team.
| The CANVASS slants back, and is constant
! ly saturated with kerosene. Every one
that hops against this and touches his
| body to the oil dies instantly. One bar
rel of kerosene will go over about 120
| acres. and will kill 200 bushels or more.
| Each farmer is given one barrel of oil
and promises to use it only for destroying
| insects.
DR.. Lugger thinks the means now be-
| iug used will soon place them under con-
troll, as all farmers are warned that they
must pillow their fields this fall to destroy
the eggs, but he does not hope to eradi-
cate them. Unfavorable climatic condi-
tions will pretty certainly destroy
them the present or next season. They
have actually died out the thru or fourth
year after coming to our moist climate
| from their Rocky Mountain home. But
this years crop seems to be wonderfully
vigorous, as is shown by the large per
cent. Of eggs that have been Matched and
by the vigor OF the young. The fact that
| they are SO strong, also that the original
| colony was so small, makes it seem prob
able that they came directly from the
mountain region. Those not Matched
out are soft, having not developed their
hard covering as yet, and would fare bad
ly should wet weather occur. In response
to question, DR.. Lugger said: "Wet
weather is not SO bad as alternate wet and
clear weather. In wet weather they are
more or less dormant, but when wet and
dry times alternate they gorge themselves
when the sun shines and suffer in conse
quence when rain comes again They
are thus weakened. They will not devel-
OPP wings for about six weeks, but they
shed their coat or mott every week or SO.
These melting times are critical periods"
Numerous enemies to the CRASH upper
are present in great numbers, prominent
among which is a small red bug that will
soon be ready to destroy great numbers.
They lay their eggs on the legs and wings
of the hoppers, which are attacked by the
young. DR.. Lugger has returned, and ex-
poets to see all done that the state can do
to prevent further damage. Governor
McGill expects to visit the region next
week.