El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-03-19
Dry Farmers Are Winning In New Mexico.
HAS PLAN TO KEEP
HOPPERS FROM TREES
Las Cruces Man Covers Fruit Trees
With CheeseclOth; Turkeys Are Aid
in Fighting GrasshOppers,
State College, n. NJ, March IS

State College, n. NJ, March 19.-In
view of the larger number of young
fruit trees that have been seriously in
Jured OF hlIIeu Dy graSsnVppers III sOlne
parts OF New hleNIcO curing the past
rev years, TINS danger should be borne
in mind when trees are UranSpianted IN
or adjacent 10 alfalfa IieIds, near large
irrigation bitches, or in other locations
where this insect IS liable 10 be very
numerous.
Many OF the trees that have been in
jured IN the MesiIa valley have BEEN
those that were JranspIanued IN strips
proved in alfalfa fields; and the danger
OF such injury makes this method OF
planting considerably less desirable
than it otherwise might be. Occasion
ally little or no injury may occur the
first year, but many Of the trees may
be killed year or TWO later, II the
grasshOppers should be more numerous
Trees that nave once had very large
part of the bark eaten off the branches
or trunk are usually OF little or no
value.
UnbIeached cheesecIoth-Which can
be procured cneaply IN large quantities
was used TO some extent Tor this pUE-
pose the past season by =. r. Fuller, or
Las Cruces. 1t seems likely that in
jury viii occur, It IS important &c Sc
cure the cloth without delay; as con-
siderable damage is sometimes done
within even SO short time as a day
or two. A yard per tree will generally
be sufficient for trees that have been
tranSplanted less than q year. 1t should
be tied securely over the top, 50 that
the graSShOppers cannot crawl up She
trunk or enter through any part of the
cloth that might be left open. 1t is also
well, in case the insects are in very
large numbers, to protect at least the
upper part of the trunk with the ma
teriaL For older trees, more of the
cloth, of course, will be required. No
material injury to the tree is caused
by this treatment
Mosquito bar has been tried to pre-
vent injury from the insect, but does
little good, as the grasshOppers eat
through it. 1t is also more expensive
than the cheeseclOth.
If one is prepared to raise sufficient
poultry, injury can be prevented in this
manner. Turkeys are particularly val
liable IN this connection. 1t has been
found by experiment in southern New
Mexico that $50 or 200 turkeys will keep
25 or 80 acres planted to fruit trees,
alfalfa, wheat and corn practically free
from graSShOpperS even though there
may have been a great many of these
insects in previous years For best re-
suits with this method, 1t is necessary
to have poultry fencing around the
place; though the larger fowls are
sometimes herded in badly infested
fields. In summer the turkeys seem to
care for little else, If they can get plen-
ty of grasshOppers to eat; and instead
OF being a pest, the insects may be con-
verted into profitable meat. The fowls
viii probably be more or less in the
way in irrigating and may do some
damage to growing crops; but with
fairly good management it is believed
that the returns from their sale should
considerably more than offset such
damage.
On account Of the dry climate, many
parts lOf the state are well suited to
the raising of turkeys; and the markets
for them are usually fairly satisfactory.
One hundred or more are sometimes
raised from half dozen females and a
male.
Planting a row Of corn on each side
Of each row or trees will also give
some protection as many of the grass
hoppers will thus be diverted from the
trees. However if they are in very
large numbers. injury is likely to occur,
though it may be slight.