Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1898-06-24
The Grasshoppers.

farmers through the state ahOuld make
careful examinations for the presence of
the hoppers. Wells. Eddie and Foster
counties are all torn up over the dis.
covery Of myraids of grasshoppers in
their fields. A few of the insects were
discovered about two weeks ago, but
they did not appear in numbers great |
enough to cause any alarm or even com.
ment. The last few warm days have
hatched them out by the billion. Where
they have appeared and are old enough
to do any damage they have eaten away
great patches in the grain --some places
measuring from one to forty acres
leaving the ground a. bare AZ q street
The county commissioners In the dif.
ferent counties have taken the matter in
hand and are exerting every possible
effort to exterminsts the parasites. The
Northern Pacific railway has agreed TO
haul kerosene oil and distribute II free
Of charge along its jamestown Northern
branch. where the choppers" are worst.
This oil is placed in pan mounted on q
light frame on runners. Over this frame
is stretched canvass. which IL saturated
with kerosene. The 'thopper.doser," as
It 10 called. is drawn over the ground
where the hoppers are and they jump
into the ''doser." The oil kills them.
The county commissioners and farmers
are having these dosers made % fast as
they can. and they are being used quite
effectively. The commissioners of Wells
county have appointed q grasshopper
commission, giving them power to take
any steps necessary to eradicate the pest.
The commission has ordered carload of
oil and twenty five dosers. 1t is thought
that by the end Of next week, by diligent
efforts, they will be safely rid of the
plague. One alarming feature about the
matter is that those who did not think
they had any hoppers at all find, upon
close examination, myraids of young
ones in the grain. The hoppers are the
species known as the Rocky Mountain
locusts," }" which has made periodical trips
through the Dakotas and Minnesota.
They come from the eastern foothills
of the Rockies. and remain quiet for a
number Of years, then they break loose
and devastate large sections of the coun-
try. At the present time they are wing
less, having just hatched, but when they
are fully developed it will be difficult to
confine them TO any one region. and
much more difficult to destroy them
than now.
A report comes from the Fort Rice
reservation that hoppers have made an
appearance there. Several fields are said
to have been injured dy them, and
Deputy Commissioner Of Agriculture
johnson went down yesterday to look
over the fields. John Yegen also reports
that the locusts have made an appear.
snce there. Steps should be taken at once
to destroy the pests. as there is danger Of
their spreading to all parts of the county.
The Tribune of Friday says: John
Yegen reports having looked over the
grasshoppers on the Fort Rice reserva-
ton, and pronounces them the same kind
that devastated the country number Of
years ago and destroyed all vegetation
that stood in their way. He says three
farms are infested with the hoppers, and
damage has been done to several fields Of
wheat. The farmers down that way have
had no experience with them, and do not
know what to do. 1t is dinicult, g It
always is, to get concerted action; and