The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-08
EXPERIMENTING
GRASSHOPPERS
PROF. C. 3. WALDRoN TELLS
HOW TO GET THE BEST or THE
RUINoUs LITTLE JUMPERS -
REPORTS so FAR OF DAMAGE
IS MOSTLY TO GARDENS.

Prof. @. b. Waldron OF the A. G. has
Issued the following bulletin.
Those who failed last fall or early
this spring to destroy the grasshop-
per eggs deposited during the summer
are confronted with the more difficult
problem Of destroying the young grass
hoppers at this time. Reports of dam
age are beginning to come in chiefly so
far Of injury to gardens. The hatch
ing commenced rly in May and the
insects are as too small to at
tract much atte n. The fields sure
to suffer conside. t9le injury are those
lying along side of unpIowed stubble
fields or old worn out pastures. AS
the insects hatch out from those
places they will naturally move on to
the adjoining grain fields and mea-
dows.
1t may not be too late to plow a
strip of the stubbIe nearest to the
grain gradually widening this as rapid
ly as possible till the field is plowed.
We have succeeded in saving many
grain fields in this manner even
though the blowing was not begun till
the Matching process was over.
Great numbers of the young insects
are turned under by the pillow, particu-
larly If the central strip of each land
is left to be finished up late in the
evening when the insects are not ac-
tive. The catching of the young in
sects as they are passing from their
Matching grounds is a means Of last
resort and should not be necessary
when other and surer methods for
81,
piled.
The large pans or hopper dozers"
that have ordinarily been used for this
purpose can readily be made at the
local blacksmith shops at a total cost
of about S. The hopper -dozer' con-
sists of galvanized iron pan usually
made twelve feet long and about two
and one-half feet wide with a depth
of three inches. 1t should be divided
by cross partitions into about five com.
partments.
This pan should be mounted on two
fiat runners about five feet long placed
under either end and joined by two
pieces of two by four placed along the
front and back edges of the pan. To
the two by four on the back Of the pan,
upright pieces two feet high are firmly
nailed to which strip of canvas is
fastened This keeps the grasshoppers
from jumping over the pan as it is
drawn forward. When ip use the pan
contains an inch or so of water with a
film of kerosene or petroleum on top
about quarter of an inch thick.
The canvas at the back ends should
also be kept saturated with kerosene.
a. j, - N,l,0 4.-i
either end. A light pole suspended
across from the draw ropes serves to
make the hoppers jump and when they
come down the pan is under them.
Those that succeed in escaping from
the pan will die after a short time
as the smallest amount Of the oil is
fatal. On one occasion with this meth
cd we succeeded in catching over 100
bushels of half grown hoppers along
side of one field Last season we
poisoned immense numbers in the gar
dens with poisoned bran.
This is made by adding one-fourth
of a pound of Paris green to a bushel
of dry bran mixing thoroughly. to this
is added one gallon of molasses and
enough water to moisten well. This is
scattered along the rows in the garden
where it seems to be eaten in prefer
ence to anything else. 1t is q mistake
to assume that heavy spring rains or
even SHOWS are likely to seriously effect
the grasshopers or their eggs. Unless
some natural enemy appears in large
numbers such as the gull or some of its
insect foes they are bound to increase
unless the proper means are employed
for their destruction. The simplest
and most effective method is to pillow
under the eggs. When that Is neg
lected other and more difficult means
are necessary.