The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-06-25
KILL CRICKETS
BY THE MILLION
Idaho Farmers Wage Vigorous War
On the Pest.
GRIND ITEM IN A MILL
GEM STATE ENJOYS HIGH DE-
GREE OF PROSPERITY.

George r. Hin, jr-, accompanied by
Mrs. Hill, of Rigby, Ida, both formerly
Of salt Lake, are spending the day in the
city. visiting among friends, while on
their way to the Lewis and Clark ex-
position. via Los Angeles and San
Francisco. Mr.. Hill reports everything
3B eastern idaho a. being in a thriving
condition. except the northern part of
Fremont county that IS INFESTED with
the cricket scoUrge. as stated in The
Herald a few weeks ago. Mr.. Hill re-
ports, however. that men, women and
children are out fighting the pests, and
in a number Of localities have checked
their course They now seem TO be
bent on travelling SOuthWeSterly, to-
ward the Egin bench country, where
great efforts are being put forth to
stop them. The men in charge of this
crusade have inaUgurated a novel
method to destroy the crickets- Just
north Of St Anthony, and bordering
the northern part of the tillable land, is
a large canal about thirty feet wide
which has its source in the north fork
of Snake river and runs west toward
the country named. The crickets in
attempting to cross this stream are
carried down by the swift current. and
long boards are placed in. a V shape
position lined with tin on the inside and
bent over at the top, which forces
y
the water to the center of the canal
and through a small space left there.
which then passes between to wooden
rollers turned by means Of paddle
wheels in the water, and thus hun
dreds of bushels of CTlCkets are crushed
every day. The surface Of the water
above these machines is black with live
CriCkets, which are completely des-
tTOyed as stated II seems almost i'm
possible to drown the detestable insects.
hence this scheme subscriptions have
been solicited from all parts of the
country to assist the people IN the af-
hiCted district. and thus the work of
determination is being vigorously prose-
cuteG.
Mr.. Hill is enthusiastic over the out
look for the beet sugar industry of his
state Three factories have operated
very successfully during the past and
there are prospects of five more plants
being established in the Gem state
within the next two years. This will
put Idaho in the front rank as a sugar
producing commonwealth Arrange
ments have, it is reported on good
authority, been practically completed
for two factories over in the Boise
country. both as to acreage and the
company organized to erect the fac
tories The people in the AIinidoBa dis
IrICt, also in Bear Lake county. and in
Bingham county, across the river west
from BlacldoOt, are negotiating with
capitalists for the erection of plants in
those localities 1t is claimed the neces-
sary acreage can be secured. The soil
climate and abundance of water in the
Snake River valley go to make up an
ideal beet country. The land Is a sandy
loan and peculiarly adapted to the
raising of vegetables. The sugar mat
ter in beets grown in this valley runs
unusually high one reason for this.
il Is claimed, is that the soil is free
from alkaH.
The three factories now in operation
It Is reported, viii grind three times
as many beets this fall as during any
year of their operation This has been
an ideal season for the termination OF
the beet seedN which together With the
abundant rain that has prevailed dur
ing the spring, and the great increase
In acreage. promises a tremendous
yield. Two branch railroads are being
built for beets, one northwest from
Sugar City, and the other west from a
point near RiEby, to LewiSville and |
Nenan. for the sole purpose of bringing
beetS 10 the respective factories in the /
fall These two branch lines viii ag-
gTeSate over twenty miles of road for /
this purpose, which begins to look as /
though the sugar beet industry in |
Idaho is an important one
All other crops look excellent. and
there were never better prospects for a /
prosperous year in eastern Idaho.
The filing of the articles of inCOrpora-
ton in Boise Of the proposed new rail-
road from Denver. via Laramie. WyO..
and through Fremont county to Boise /
and Portland, begins TO look as though !
the Snake River valley is eventually to !
have another trunk line When this
materiaiizes this part of Idaho viii /
double up in population and develop
ment very quickly Ar Hfl Will leave
for Los Angeles, over the Salt Lake /
route, this evening. and expects 10 re-
main on the coast about three weeks.