Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-07-15
SATURDAY, July Is. 1911
Destruction of Grasshoppers


BY t. j. Headlee. Entomologist of the kan
sas State Experiment Station
Grasshoppers are much more notice
able this year than they have been
for many years past, and owing to
the lack of usual forage are doing an
unusual amount of damage to Guilt
waited crops.
Systematic destruction of grasshop-
pers should be and must eventually
become recognized part of regular
farm practice, and general methods
for this type of warfare will be fur
nished to all who apply for them.
Just now, however, some of US are
facing the necessity of destroying
the young and fully grown hoppers
or allowing them to destroy one or
more of our crops. The crops en-
dangered differ with the individual
farm. On one it is corn; on another,
cane; on another, kaffir; on another,
alfalfa; on another, garden truck;
and combinations of these and other
crops.
Where grasshoppers are yet wing
less and the nature of the crop will
of the hopper-dozer. This is essen
italy a long narrow pan with a high
back and low front mounted on low
runners. The back of the pan should
be 4 or feet high-high enough that
the grasshoppers can't jump over it
and may be made of strong canvas
stretched on wooden frames and satu-
rated with kerosene. The length of
the dozer should be as great as the
nature OF the ground will permit, in
order that a large acreage may be
gone over quickly. The pan should
be about 3 inches deep, to feet
wide, and should be divided into
compartments not to exceed two feet
in length by cross divisions to pre-
vent splitting. The bottom of the pan
should be covered with water, over
which liberal supply of oil has been
poured. This dozer should be drag
ged back and forth by horse power
over the infested field during the
parts of the day when the hoppers
are most active whenever they APP
pear in sufficient numbers to threaten
serious damage. AS the pan comes
scraping along, the grasshoppers leap
into the air in an effort to escape it,
and fall into the oiled water: Some
will leap out and apparently get
away, but most of these will die.
In some instances the dozer may
be made yet more effective by attach
ing light piece of wood as long as
the pan to the chains or cords by
which the pan is pulled, so that it
will be dragged over the vegetation
about twelve inches in advance OF
the pan.
At this time of the year the best
results, where the hopper -dozer can
not be used, will follow the use OF
poisons. Poison may be applied il
three forms, each of which has its
own advantages. 1t may be applied
as bran mash, as Criddle mixture
or as sodium arsenite spray. The
first two have received extensive
trial, the Criddle mixture proving
the more satisfactory for most pur
poses, and the third comes to u,
from South Africa, where it ha.
proven most markedly successful anc
has been adopted as the principa
means of controlling the extensiv,
outbreaks with which that countr,
is afflicted.
BRAN MASH.
Bran. 20 lbs
White arsenic or Paris Green. L ID
Cheap molaSSeS. ....2 qtS
Water to make a thick mash.
Mix the bran and pulveriZed al
senic or Paris green, dry. Add tn
molasses to about a gallon of water
Pour the resulting liquid over tn
poisoned bran, stirring thorough.
and adding enough water to make
stiff mash. When ready, place tn
mash on the ground in small shovel
fuls that it may not dry out to
quickly.
CREDIBLE MIXTURE.
Clear horse dung. .-............ 40 lbs
Common salt. :. .-....-...2 los
White arsenic or Paris green. IL Il
Mix the arsenic or Paris green wit
the dung before adding the water
Dissolve the salt in about gallon G