The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1917-07-13
THE CHRISTOPHER PROBLEM

10 properly meet the grasshopper prob
tu,t 1rii ~ Is necessary to know that there are
on 1mo dlstinct kinds as regards their habits
one Is the migratory and the other is the
| non non migratory, the two kinds rarely oc-
curing at the same time. The non-migra
1ory hopper spend their entire life history
MltIih tne area OF single field or a very
| Ilestrlcted district, while the other usually
uoes lts greatest damage a great distance
rpsa ao, TN 5ne hg matching grounds. In the first
Ease the problem Is one for the individual
put TO handle the other kind requires the
IGo-operaton of numbers of people In
y IAN ana other states where these insects
! nave come III III great SwarmS from vast
open areas, they have been controlled
| put 1T has required the organization OF
results.
There are three ways in which the hop
pers are commonly fought: by destroying
lne egg masses. by poisoning the partly
ISroWl insects and by catching them in
one of the newer types of grasshopper ma
lchlhes. FOR TINS year the first method is
out OF the question, but it is possible to
Iget action ON the other two If the grower
cares to make use of them The entire
control cannot be effected in every case
WIN the season so far advanced as it is
| now.
| Due to the skeptcsm that now prevails
| IN many districts it is not even hoped that
! an VIII avail themselves of the knowledge
that has been given on the fighting of
Igrasshoppers, SO the following suggestions
ARE made to those who know that much
can be done and are willing to make the
l
next year, If the hoppers are present.
Lack of space prevents full discus
sion sion Of the subject of grasshopper habits.
but little observation will reveal the fact
that the insects lay their eggs in partic-
ular places and in limited areas millions
OF eggs being placed in the area of a few
square rods. These places will be found
to be along the roadsides on exposed
side hills or other places where the soil
IS reasonably firm, usually heavy sod is
| free from egg masses. If these places are
located and covered with poison bait when
the, hoppers are still young, many of them
VIII he destroyed, much depending on the
ithoroughness of this treatment This
batting may be repeated until the escap-
ing insects have become widely scattered.
When the hoppers become bolder one
may make use of one of the grasshopper
machines that have been used very sue
cessfully in many places. 1t will be i'm
possible to go into detail in regard to
this machine, but those interested NAV
write the office of the county agricul-
turist and detailed information will be
furnished and demonstrations arranged
where possible. If persons in the grass
hopper districts will give this matter their
earnest and immediate attention. they
can do much to lesson the damage that
may be done if the pest is allowed to
come into their fields without any resist
lance
The poison bran mixture is made as
Mix together dry 100 pounds of bran or
lalfalfa meal and pounds of Paris green;
then thor9ughly mix together l gallon of
Ior lemons that have been ground in a
meat grinder. Finally stir all of the in
gradients together and add enough water
to moisten the brand and yet allow 1t to
lscatter well when sown broadcast over
the hopper area. This mixture should be
made up fresh and scattered early in the
morning over the infested spot being sure
that enough is scattered to furnish bait
for all the hoppers present 1t may take
ia hours or longer for the poison to have
Its effect, but proper usage of this ma
teral will do much to help the condition.
The county agricultural agent will be
|glad to cooperate as far as possible with
those who care to take up this work: in
the meantime forget what has happened
in South Dakota or some place else, and
remember that the expert methods as now
used have been in use only since 1914
|1915
WALTER A. HOLT
County Agent.