The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-12-30
DRIVE AGAINST
CRASSHOPPERS
URGED FARMERS
Next Year Will See Many In
sects in Crasshopper Belt
Cleanup Advised.

WASHINGTON, Dec, 30-There are
going to be lots OF grasshoppers dur
Ing the summer OF 1919 in Indiana and
other states In the grasshopper belt.
according to indications found by ento-
mologists OF the Department Of Agri-
culture and the state agricultural col
ieges. Farmers are urged to start a
cleanup campaign against them right
away. Flowing to a depth of six
inches and subsequent narrowing dur
Ing the fall or winter. at any event not
later than April 10. will cover the eggs
50 deep that the young will not be
able to escape. When grasshoppers
make their appearance they can be
destroyed by the common poisoned
bait method.
But there is another way Of getting
ria OF grasshoppers that makes the
pests pay for the trouble Of killing or
catching them. This method consists
OF driving grasshopper catcher
through an infested field. catching all
the grasshoppers that hop and then
feeding the insects to chickens. They
can be dumped into sacks and hung up
to dry and feed as dry grasshoppers,
or II 1t Is preferred to feed the grass
hoppers alive, the machine can be
hauled to the poultry yard and placed
so that the front will face the light.
The insects will find their way out
but not too fast for an ordinary flock
OF chickens. Thus the grasshopper
catcher becomes a poultry selffeeder.
An analysis Of grasshoppers shows
them to be high in protein and there
fore good chicken feed. 1t is known
that chickens are more productive
when insects are part of their ration,
and grasshOppers when dried can be
used with other feeds during the win
ter.
Flowing Infested Fields.
Where 1t Is not practicable to pillow
infested field, such as grouds in clo-
YER or alfalfa. they should be thorough.
ly disked in the fall or winter and
narrowed early in March of the fol-
lowing year. In Indiana clover and
alfalfa fields are among the best breed
ing places for grasshoppers
The poisoned bait recommended con-
sists Of bran or sawdust made tasty
and attractive by the addition of mo-
lasses and fruit and treated with an
Grsenical poison. The following formu-
la Is recommended:
Bran (half and half bran and hard
wood sawdust. or sawdust alone),
twenty-five pounds: Paris green or
crude arsenous oxide. one pound, or
white arsenic. one and half pounds;
nolasses (cheap feeding grade), two
quarts; lemons, bananas or oranges.
six fruits. or one ounce cheap lemon
extract; water, about two to four gal
Ions.
The poison should be thoroughly
mixed with the bran. The water. mo-
lasses and finely-chopped fruit or ex-
tract are then mixed and added. The
mixture should be wet so that it molds
in the hands but is not "soppy." The
bait should be scattered broadcast at.
the rate OF seven to ten pounds to the
acre. application being made in the
early morning.
In clover or alfalfa much material
and labor can be saved by first cutting
around the field until there remains
a small central uncut area where the
grasshoppers will have gathered and
may be quickly and cheaply destroyed
by the poisoned bait. II the grasshop.
pers are feeding in corn or young trees
more water, or better, more molasses
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mixture thrown forcibly so that the
be protected.
orasshopper Catcher.
The grasshopper catcher. which has
an advantage over the old-style hop
perdozer. is that the insects can be
teen feet long with an upright but |
CuryoA niaco - CIV, In 'FRONT.' onA co
arranged that the grasshoppers will |
strike 1t as they hop, falling to the !
bottom and back through a narrow |
trap opening into box behind.
The tin front does not extend quite |
to the bottom. where. just in front OF
the tin shield, is strip Of tin placed |
SO that there Is an opening about and |
and one-half or two inches wide. This |
front strip or lip may be made by |
using a sixteen foot length OF gutter,
one side OF which is fiatened outward
The back and top of the box In the
rear Is covered with wire screen. and
the top should be hinged so that 1t
can easily be opened and the accumu-
lated grassroppers shoveled out as
needed.
A horse is hitched to the extended |
beam at each end and the catcher is
dragged through the infested area. be-
ginning at the sides and working to-
ward the center Of the field. A boy,
riding on each horse. can handle the
machine nicely. A heavy rope at
tached to the names. so that It drags
n few feet In front Of the shield. is
nm advantage In that it stirs up, just
before the catcher passes. the hoppers
not otherwise disturbed.
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