The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-15
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Down in the Argentine Republic. WHARF
the merry locust sings his billion songs
harvester has been contrived to gather
in the insects. There are at least three
reasons why the device is excellent It
does the work. it is cheap, and the dead
locusts are converted into fertflizing ma
terial which has commercial value.
A large, oblong, covered. wooden box
upon supports ten or twelve feet high,
presents wide aperture In front through
which the insects are to enter Leading
to this is an inclined plane (termed a
trampolin), wide at the end resting upon
the ground and gradually narrowing to-
ward the upper end protected on each
side by zinc sheets about twelve inches
high over which it is impossible for the
young locusts to escape. From these side
pieces extend other barriers of the same
height and about 100 feet long, each of
which Is set up edgewise and when in
use so secured at such distances apart
at the outer extremities as to afford a
wide entrance to the 1ocusrs The swarms
of insects are driven toward this In
closure and readily ascend the trampolin
which is painted green (the color of the
foliage), into the box which is then
closed until another swarm is collected
and driven in, two men being required for
this work.
The apparatus for destroying the locusts
is roller sustaining a cylinder of iron
similar in form to coffee mill or rooster
The cylinder Is covered with knives ex-
tended obliquely and revolves between
high side pieces which almost touch 1t at
their lower extremities and is revolved
by a crank. This machine Is attached to
the back Of the box containing the inn
prisoned locusts. which are allowed to
drop into 1t when they are cut to pieces
After this the remains of the insects are
dried and sold for fertilizing purposes,
there being a constant demand In Eu-
rope for this material rich I'm nitrogen
An easier method of destroying locusts
has been discovered, according to reports
which come from Cape Colony. South
Africa. In 1895 the locusts in that part
of the world appear to have been almost
destroyed by epidemic. and an investiga-
tons carried on by M. s. Evans seem
ed to prove conclusively that the disease
was the result of feeding upon fungus
growth now known as locust fungus
and that few insects affected with the
malady might communicate it to millions
of others After repeated experiments in
the archaeological institute at Grahams-
ton, Cape Colony, pure culture Is said
to have been obtained from the locust
fungus, and the insects died that were
brought in contact with 1t at the insti-
tute.
A national commission OF the Argentine
Republic several years ago investigated
all plans and means for arresting the
plague of locusts. and finally hit upon a
bounty plan for locusts and their eggs de-
stroyed. In six months $3.50 900 was paid
out in paper currency for 100000 pounds
Of insects and eggs. Though this guam
tity seems enormous. yet 1t Is as moth
ing when compared with the immense
swarms and prodigious quantities Of eggs
that still were to be seen. and 1t appear
ed that the amount of money paid out
in bounties would foot up more than all
the damage done by the pests.