Evening journal., 1915-05-26
HO0PERDOZER WILL
KILL GRASSHOPPERS
Ride on the KeroseneWa
Means Death to the
Farm Pest
MOON FAILS TO
INFLUENCE CROPS

by United Press stan correspondent.
WASHINGTON, May 26.-lf you
have a nice level farm thickly infest-
ed with grasshoppers what you need
is a hooperdozer. This is an mex
pensive durable, easily-constructed
contrivance. filled with water and
kerosene, which may be run through
the infested alfalfa or clover field.
AS the hoppcrdozer is drawn over
the ground by horsepower the grass
hopperes jump into the kerosene and
are killed.
The only place where the hopper
dozer will prove more or less imprac-
ticable is on rocky land or on land
not yet cleared of stumps.
The hOpperdozer is constructed of
sheet iron, preferably galvanized. of
reasonable thickness to insure
/ strength, and. expect for the end
pieces, made of a single sheet 10 or
u feet long and 26 inches in width.
The front is formed by turning up
the edge of a couple of inches and
/ the back may be turned up a foot
thus making a shallow pan one foot
wide. with the back the same height
and with a front . inches high.
Ends are riveted in and soldered
Runners of old wagon tire are placed
at each end, and another in the CEN
ter is turned over in the front and
back to strengthen the pan at these
points. These runners are riveted to
the pan and should extend both back
ward and forward, in order to over
come to some extent the inequalities
of the ground and cause the hopper
dozer to run more smoothly. The pan
is filled with water, on which is pour
| ed enough kerosene to cover Il with
a film. the horse is hitched TO the
bend runners and the outfit is ready
for use.
Scientists are now convinced" SAYS
the latest news letter of the Agriculture,
Department. that the moon has no more
influence on the crops than it has on th,
temperature or the amount of rain q
the wind or any other weather element
The gro tn of plants depends upon tn,
amount of food in the soil and in tn,
air that is available for them, and upol
temperature, light and moisture. Thu
moon obviously does not effect the char
actcr of the soil in any way, neither
does il effect the composition of the at
mosphere. The only remaining way il
which it could influence plant growth
therefore is by light Recent expert
ments show. however that full daylight
is about 600. 900 times brighter than full
moonlight vet when a plant gets one
thousandth part of normal daylight j
thrives little better than in absolut
darkness. If one thousandth part O
daylight is thus too little TO stimulate
plant it seems quite certain that
6O0O00th part cannot have any effect a
? all. Il is, therefore, mere waste q
time to think about the moon in come,
tion with the planting of crops.
.
Planting dates differ in different SEE
tions. This would appear simple enoug
to the average person who knows any
thing at all about farming, but tn
back TO- the-soil movement appears {
have landed good many there VIII
overlook this primary principle.
southern New England. says the Burea
of Plant Industry, such a case was ol
served the past year.
\ farmer new to the region, not reaI
izing the shortness of the growing sea
son. had planted his corn too late TO ma
tule properly, WIN tnc result thdl uu
fifteen bushels were husked from min
acres, and large part of his fodder wa
lost by heating. He is there to max
his farm pay, however, and is rapid
, correcting his errors.
J A mistake that often is made is tha
{ of attempting to bring the type of farm
5 ing prevailing in one region to anoth,
Y where conditions are different, as % e
! Biography. soil. transportation and ma
( keting. The general type of soil of I'll
- neighborhood should be studied an
2 compared with the soil of the ndividui
- farm and crops planted which are be-
{ adapted. as shown by the general far
/ practice of the neighborhood As a gel
I eral rule it is the safest practice for an
farmer starting in n new neighborhoC
y to grow the same crops and keep II
2 same livestock as his neighbor, unle
S there is an especially good reason f'
p following another practice. As OF
e grows familiar with the region, exper
S ences may suggest improved methods.