The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1900-10-17
.ocusr HARVEST IN ARGENTINA.
Western Farmers May Learn Lesson
from south America.


from south America.
Down In the Argentine Republic,
where the merry locust sings his songs,
a harvester has been contrived to
gather In the insects. There are at
least three reasons why the device Is
excellent. II does the work, II Is
cheap and the dead locusts are con
verted into fertlizlng material which
has commercial value.
A large oblong. covered wooden box,
upon supports ten or twelve feet high.
presents u wide aperture In front
through which the insects are to enter.
Leading to this is an inclined plane
dermed trampolln), wide at the end
resting upon the ground and grndu-
ally narrowing toward the upper end,
about twelve inches high, over which
II Is impossible for the young locusts
to escape. From these side pieces extend
protected on each side by zinc sheets
other barriers of the same height and
about 100 feet long. each of which Is
set up edgcwise and when in use so
secured mt such distances apart at the
outer eXtremities as to afford wide
entrance TO the locusts. The swarms
Of insects are driven toward this In
closure and readily ascend the trampo-
lin, which is painted green tthc color of
the foliage), into the box. which Is
then closed until another swarm is
collected and driven ln two men being
required for this wcvls.
The apparatus for destroying the To-
Gusts is Il roller sustaining cylinder
of iron similar in form to coffee mill
or roaster. The cylinder is covered
with knives extended obliquely and re-
wolves between high side pieces which
almost touch II Mt their lower eXtrem-
tiles and is rcvolvcd by crank. This
machine Is attached to the back Of the
box containing the imprisoned locusts,
which are allowed to drop into IT, when
they are cut to pieces. After this the
remains of the insects are dried ana
sold for fertili2ing purposes, there
being constant demand in Europe for
this material rich In nitrogen.
I'm easier method of destroying To-
To reports which come from Cape Col
ony, South Africa. In 1898 the locusts
in that part of the world appear to
have been almost destroyed by IN cpl
demic. and investigations carried on
by NJ. S. Evans seemed to prove con-
clusively that the disease was the re-
suit of feeding upon n fungus growth
now known as "locust fungus" and
that few insects affected with the
malady might communicate II to mil
lions of others. After repeated eX-
perlments in the meteorological lnsti-
tute mt Grahamstown, Cape Colony,
pure culture is said to have been OBJ
tanned from the locust fungus and the
insects died that were brought in con-
tact with 1t at the institute.
In 1897 experiments We're carried on
on a large scale. Immense swarms of
locusts perished after the Infection of
several individuals in each group. 1t
was also found that the best results
were obtained during the periods of
rain. when the locusts remain longer
in one place, and the spread of the IN
fection was thus facilitated. In dry
weather the flight of the insects Is
more rapid, and, the sick ones Icing
left behind, there Is less chance for the
spread of the disease. The Bacteria
logical Institute now sends out the
culture from the locust fungus with di-
rections for its use in tubes, which
may be conveyed 1000 miles or more.
Chicago Chronicle.