The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-08-16
DEATH TO THE HOPPERS.
Agricultural Department Sends Out a
Fungus to be Used

Sioux Falls, Aug. 12.-During the
past two seasons grasshoppers have
done much damage through South
Dakota. The hoppers are not what are
known as the raiders, but are the
natives. The damage has not been to
grain so much as to garden truck, still
corn has suffered somewhat from their
work. George w. Barrett of this city
has been one of those who was hit hard
by the hoppers. He tried every plan
known to him to rid his garden of the
pests, but without success. He finally
wrote letter to the department of
agriculture at Washington, begging
information. A few days ago he re-
ceived from the agricultural depart
ment tube containing a culture of
the grasshopper disease fungus, and
also copy of instructions as to the
mode of using the fungus The letter
accompanying the fungus was from
Nathan Banks, acting entomolgist,
and he asked that a full report of the
workings of the fungus be forwarded
to the department.
The fungus is prepared by dissoIv-
ing the contents of the tube in some
sweetened water. When it is in a pro-
per condition there are several ways of
spreading the disease among the hop
pers. One is to catch some hOppers
and dip them into the solution after
which they are given their freedom.
They will join their kind and thus
spread the disease. Another method is
to find piece of bare ground where
the hOppers light and smear the fun
gus over this. And still another is to
confine some of the noppers in box
where a quantity of the fungus has
been mixed with food which the hop
pers will eat. After they have been
confined for time in this box liberate
them and allow them to return to the
flock
Once person has a tube of this
fungus he can make plenty for future
use and distribution. The following
directions are given:
Collect a large number of grass
| hoppers which have died from the
fungus. Dig hole in the ground
| about a foot square by eighteen inches
| deep. Strew some of the dead grass
hoppers over the bottom, then sprinkle
some water over them. Repeat with
grasshoppers and sprinkle more water
| until the hole is filled Do not press
the hoppers down solid but leave them
lightly in the hole. Then cover the
hole with a piece of tin or board and
keep the hole carefully covered for
four or five days. If the weather is
warm four days will do, but if cool
longer time will be necessary. At the
end of this time remove the hoppers
from the hole and spread them out in
the sun for an hour or two. Then
grind them into meal. Of this meal
which may be kept dry for long time
until wanted, take two tablespoonfuls
and it to large tumbler full of water,
into which some sugar has = been
placed. Leave this in warm place
from twelve to forty-eight hours, and
then treat live grasshoppers by dip
ping, etc, just as one does when using
the fungus as supplied in the tubes.
Mr. Barrett has prepared his fungus
and is experimenting with it on the
hoppers in his garden After fair
test he will make a report to the agri-
cultural department. If this fungus
will rid gardens of grasshoppers it will
perform good work, Many hundred
dollars worth of damage has been
done by hoppers in the gardens of his
vicinity the past two years.