The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-07-19
FARMERS ARE
DISCOURAGED
lave GIVEN UP HOPES OF HAIR
VISITING ANYWHERE NEAR
NORMAL CROPS - GRASS
HoPPERs A PEST.

Copper country farmers have given
n, all hopes of harvesting anywhere
near normal crops this season. II has
heen the dryest season I'm many years,
aud in addition to this handicap grass
hammers are numerous ana are doing
great damage
what the sun hasn't ruined the
orasshoppers are eating" said farm
or this morning, land my summers
work viii net me little, If anything. L
will have to sell most of my livestock
tbis fall because i won't have enough
Fodder TO keep them during the winter.
There is no hay at all on high ground
and only a very small crop I'm the low
lands. Last year | got sixteen tons OF
bav hut this year / won't get three.
bave fifteen acres I'm wheat, but l
doubt if will get one hundred pounds
of grain from the whole tract. Even
swamps are drying up. The little rain
,ve have had has been of no value
whatever II just moistened the
ground. Then, too, the gr1sshoppers
are the worst I'm sixteen years. Some
of them are as large as three inches
I'm length and when they fly into your
face II Is as if someone had struck
Won a blow They are eating the heads
If the grain and doing great damage
in the field. 1t has been hard year
and IL means that all kinds of farm
PRODUCTS will be high next winter
EXPERT Talks on Grasshoppers.
Leo NJ. Geismar superintendent or
the H. p. experimental farm at Chat
ham. has written for the public benefit
his experience with grasshoppers
which experience with grasshoppers
i'm many places. Mr.. Geismar has
been experimenting at the upper pc
ninsula station with means of destroy
ing the pest and preventing the grea'
damages wrought by them. His let
ter upon the subject has created such
an interest in agricultural circles that
the state agriculture college has pub
ushed Mr.. Beismar's letter as Special
Rulletin No. SO, and any person can
obtain 1t upon request and without
cost by postcard addressed to the col
lege East Lansing, Mich. The bulletin
Is very interesting and, valuable, The
latter mart of it reads as follows:
Criddle mixture is horse manure
mixed with salt and Paris green. II
has been i'm more or less general use
for some years, notably in Canada the
home of it's originator. The fondness
of graeshoppers for anything whicf
contains salt is well known, for they
will eat paper which has been wrap;
ned around sailed butter and in order
to get at the salt which has been de'
posted with the perspiration, they VII
chew up old coats or much worn caps
and roughen the handles of forks noe
or hand ra kes which are left outdoors
To prenare the mixture, take about lo'
mounds of horse droppings, two pounds
of salt and either one pound OF ParD
green or three pounds of arsenate
lead. If no large scales are handy
five 10-duart pals may be taken as III
pounds. Mix the poison In halt pan
full of water and stir all the ingre
dents well I'm barrel or water-ugii
box. gradually adding another pailfu
of water to facilitate mixing. IL
better to use only clear horse manur
which is free from straw or other III
ter. A large shovel has been touh
sufficient for about every two roo
square, and If grasshoppers are fouh
to invade field from one SIDE ON.
the field will be sufficiently protecte
by depositing shovelfuls about 70
apart on that side of the field only.
prevent rapid drying ands scatterh
by the wind the mixture should be ap
Piled in heaps of one shovelfui eac
and in we'll moistened condition. .
the above mentioned 2O-acre field III
grasshoppers came in from all direc
lions and the mixture was used on a
four sides as well as at the base OF
few stumps in the middle OF the nee
The cost for the 20-acre field was Sl.S
for the poison and salt; or six and
half cents per acre exclusive of lapo
Three hours work mixing at 10 cent
90 t,o,,r opd tbree hours time or on