The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-07-13
Experts Hope to Secure Co
operation of Farmers
Next Spring
EXPECT TO FORM
AN ORGANIZATION

Bad as Any in New England = Pest
Can Be Eradicated at Small Expense
by United Effort.
It will surprise many persons to know
that an expert who has looked into the
situation says that certain sections of
Jamaica and Townshend in Windham
county are as badly infested with
grasshoppers as any places in New
England. That is the statement of Har-
rison e. Smith of the United States en-
ltomological laboratory at West
Springfield, Mass, who is in charge of |
the work of the suppression OF grass |
hoppers in New England.
| ! Mr. Smith has been in Brattleboro
and other towns in this county within
a few days in consultation with Arthur
| w. Sweeton of this town, agent of the
lWindham County Agricultural associa- |
tion, with reference to the grasshopper
situation. He went to Jamaica, Town
shend. Putney. Westminster and other
Towns at Mr. Sweeton s request and
| in an interview afterwards with a
member of The Reformer staff told
some interesting facts about existing
conditions.
| He verified what Mr.. Sweeton al
ready had said about the seriousness OF
the situation and his wide experience
along that particular line enabled him
to make comparisons and to make Some
suggestions. While the worst infesta
tions are in Jamaica and Townshend-
the pest has gotten strong foothold
in the other towns mentioned, and radl-
cal measures must be taken.
Mr. Smith and Mr.. Swetton agreed
that the great need in this county *
| 60 al ctaJ
to rid his fields of grasshoppers he has
lno assurance against clouds of them
looming to him from other fields where
lno preventive measures have been
taken, whereas if all the farmers in an
infested territory would cooperate
they could eradicate the pest, and
J there is no question but that it can be
effectually wiped out.
Tt is Mr.. Smith s hope that next spring
some cooperative plan may be worked
ort whereby the farmers will unite in
protecting their crops and whereby
. some person of experience may come
) here and devote his time to the grass
J homer suppression work directing the
: efforts of the farmers. That could be
done for a small per cent Of what the
: grasshoppers have cost the farmers this
wear, and it is believed that after this
n season S experience they viii be ready
Y TO enter into some such arrangement,
e as the pest certainly will he here next
i season unless the winter conditions arc
5 especially favorable for their extermi-
/ nation.
How SIS Saved $4,000.
f The two sections of New England
e where grasshoppers are most abundant
f are in the valley of the Merrimac river
f and its tributaries in New Hampshire
S and in the valley of the Connecticut
l. river and its tributaries in Vermont
e and New Hampshire. Mr.. oMith mas
n done some effective work IN New
t. Hampshire recently. The owner of one
n farm to which he went had become
i thoroughly discouraged, because the
hoppers were running his crops. He was
! willing that Mr. Smith should take any
= steps he desired and offered 5000 to
y pay the cost. The farm was entirely
y freed of the devastating horde and the
V lexpense was less than SIS. while tbs
e farmer saved more than $4,000. Mr.
70 Smith used the poisoned bait formula
y of the department. of agriculture, exer
rs cising care and following ND the work
11 and on two square feet of land wer'
u counted about 1000 dead grasshoppers
OIL 1t is almost ineonceivable that tn
Of hoppers could be that thick, except t.
VI persons WHO nave seen Tedl ScIlouS III
is festations. When, however, person
lg have seen the highways carpete'
no with them and have seen fence
k and sides of barns and house
y, completely covered and have heard
h, continuous crushing of them under au
es tomobile wheels and have seen ther
G. obscure the sun in their flight i
p lclouds-all of which conditions hay
r, obtained in this county this year :
rs one knows that the figures given b
m Mr.. Smith are no exaggeration.
Windham county farmers, it is be
oI lieved, do not want to put up with sue
III circumstances another year, and enoug
y. has been said to show that they WI
, re not need to if they are willing to pa
ne a small sum to prevent a recurrence @
~ this years conditions One thing need
to be borne in mind, that grasshol
Gu Once they infest a place they stay III
"a u til killed out, either through natur;
IN weather conditions or by human e.
-. deavor or a combination of both.
~ Some effective work has been dor
- in Windham county by the use of pc
~ ~, soned bait One serious defect in Il
' work has been that the farmers haN
~ not followed it up, except in a col
~ paratively few instances They have 9
- ~ lowed one application to suffice, wht
n another application and possibly thil
- were needed to attain the desired 7
suits
Poisoned Bait Formula.
,evl After much experimenting the d