The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-01-04
COLORADO FEARS
HOPPER Menace
Farmers Are Organizing to Ex-
terminate Crop Parasites.
NOT A CANADIAN INVASION.
Growth of Grssshoppers Entirely From
American Population, Which Is Fat
tening on Rich Alfalfa Crops of
Mountain West-Legisative Aid to
Be Asked In War of Farmers.

eeHlH9 OF nlcn Hnalra OropS OF
Mountain West-LesisIativ Aid to
Be Asked In War of Farmers.
Colorado is aroused over the grass
hopper menace-so much so, in fact,
that the farmers have called a state
convention to strike at the roots of
the danger or, rather, at the roots of
the grass, to eliminate the danger. So
much in earnest are the farmers re-
garding the increase of the grasshop-
per population that the Colorado leg.
lslature will be asked to enact law
for the determination of the pests.
There is no danger of a repetition Of
the scourge of the seventies in Nebras-
ka, Kansas and the Dakotas The To-
Gusts Of that day were long winged
grasshoppers which breed in the north
and west-in Montana and neighboring
states-and also in Canada. That in
vasion was doubtless due to an over
production of the insect in its native
territory which led to an exhaustion
of the food supply. The flights were
due TO a search for new feeding
grounds. During those times the in
vaders laid immense numbers of eggs,
many of which hatched, but the young
found themselves unable to adapt
themselves to the conditions of the
newly discovered land. They were
weak, and very few reached maturity.
After the first breeding the species
died out
The long winged graSshoppers were
reported to be present in western Ne
braska and Kansas as late as 1885,
but recent examinations have thrown
doubt over the identity of the insect
found 1t is certain that this grass
hopper has not been taken in Colorado
during the last fifteen years.
Local Hopper Increasing.
The grasshopper to be swatted is the
"home grown article, which is taking
advantage of the prosperity of the
country and is living off the luxuri-
ant crops and increasing by the mil
lion. The juicy, succulent alfalfa
whose acreage is increasing many fold,
is about the best thing the grasshop.
per has struck in many a year, and it
hOb WHY tllC tChuCl SltIiS Ill
summer, but it converts the roots into
great incubator for Matching young.
"Grasshoppers," says S. r. Johnson
of the Colorado agricultural expert
ment station, "are like the poor-el.
ways with us. They are present in all
parts of the United States, and every
year exact their toll from almost every
crop that grows In spite of the fact
that they have been so universally de-
structive and have been fought by so
many methods, their depredations still
continue, and it can be truthfully said
that little progress has been made to-
ward their control. Every year brings
reports of destructive visitations in
1 greater or smaller areas. Just what
the damage is can only be guessed.
The sum total is doubtless millions
each year.
I'm Colorado a campaign is now be-
ing conducted against the pest. This
campaign was first suggested by @
l.. Fitch. potato expert of the Colorado
experiment station. 1t is due largely
to his untiring energy that the move
ment is assuming logical and effective
shape The plan contemplates:
"Arousing the farmers to concerted
efforts of control.
"Enlightening them as to the most
intelligent and economical methods of
control
Formulating grasshopper legislation
of such nature that the farmers in To-
cal districts may cooperate and have
the work of each individual effective.
Legislative Aid Sought.
The legislature will be asked to
pass some form of grasshopper law
which will make cooperative effort
possible. This law will make it pos
sible for neighboring farmers to form
grasshOpper districts of few miles in
extent These districts will be in
charge of committees and supervisors
chosen by the farmers. All those with
in the district will be obliged to clean
out the infested localities and fight the
hoppers under direction. Means will
be provided so that the public places
such as ditch banks, roadsides and
waste lands, may be cleaned up at pub
lie or general expense.
'"rhe best winter remedy is the de-
struction of the eggs. Egg pods which
are broken open and exposed during
the winter (the longer the better are
almost surely destroyed before TIA
Matching period arrives. When eggs
are buried very deeply in the ground
the young are seldom able to make
their way to the surface even If the
eggs hatch.
THE best method to employ is plow-
ing. PlOw deeply where possible and
N such way as to turn the sod com
oletely over. 1t will be well to har-
fow the plowed sod very thoroughly so
that the cracks where the young might
crawl out will be filed up. If shallow
plowing is resorted to the ground
should be thoroughly narrowed in or
der to break up the pods and expose
the eggs to the attacks of b.sdI and
mice and the effects of the weasasr,
which will wet and dry, freeze and