The L'Anse sentinel., 1921-06-17
NOTES OF INTEREST
TO The FARMERS

Grasshoppers cause the state i'm
mense losses each year and thus fal
nothing better than poisoned bats
have been found for their control
Several other methods were tried the
past year but all were more or less OF
failures. In few instances farmers
burned over heavy June grass Sec
tions containing millions of hoppers
and usually regretted it afterwards.
Fire is very dangerous, especially in
slashings and cut-over lands.
We can save our crops. actus.i..y
save them, if we go about it in the
right way. The right way is tc use
poison bait and use il continually,
not just once in awhile. Where the
application of poison bait is made a
daily chore wonderful cucccss is
achieved. The farmer goes out each
evening after supper and sows a
blshel Of sawdust mixture, where he
has seen the grasshoppers most num-
erous during the day or perhaps he
liz 4!sq uos!od 10 MoIpuM smIo3
along the edge of field of grai.l
bordering slashing. If he persist
emily makes this daily chorc sowing
the poison where it is most neede.. it
will only take about 80 minutes each
evening and he will suffer very little
loss from the pest. Poison bait will
do the work if used persIsSe,ily ard
cnly by its constant use VII. VIC be
able to hold the iiordes of srasshop-
pcrs of northern Michigan in cheek.
The greatest measure of =. cess is
OF tanned where each TOWNSHIP estab-
n'shed central .nixing-stati IN. nca.
sawmill or other convenia,+ place;
ard hires two men to mix the roison
aro heer it ON hand in large Guanti-
ties ready mixed SO the farmers car
come and get it. This plar. gave FIVE
results during the past season ard it
also eliminates the danger of children
accidentally getting the arsenic.
The formula for poison bait .s:
Irto gallon of water place:
pend of barrel sail.
8 rounds tricalcium arseor.,.
! Quart of cheap molasses.
Stir well and then add, slowly, to a
bushel Of screened sawdust, mixing
the sawdust well all the time the Ii
quid is being added. Enough more
water is added to make a good stiff
mash, giving the sawdust all the wa
ter it will take up without any Of the
liquid running of. Hardwood saw
dust is much the best to use. Of
course, the mixture is usually made
up in large quantities and mixed in a
cement mixing box or on a concrete
floor. 1t has been found that better
results are obtained where ythe bait
is mixed up in the morning and al
lowed to soak until evening and then
broadcasted. In this way the salt and
poison get a chance to soak into the
sawdust.
Where the poison is used on pas
ture fields the cattle shc1ld be well
salted before turning them in. Do not
allow the bait to become piled up or
to accumulate in ridges in pasture
lots at any time. It may kills cattle
if you do. It can be safely used,
however, in pastures if bushel is
made to cover an acre or more. Do
not use bait containing large chips
on pasture lots. Arsenic is very poi
sonous so be sure the saw6lst is well
screenen. To screen the sawdust use
a Y Inch mesh screen because saw
dust is usually too damp to screen
well through a smaller screen.
Arrangements have been made for
the distribution Of poison and mo-
lasses throuph the local farm bureau
secretaries. If you have many hop
pers and plan to use the poison, see
your local secretary and he will noti-
fly the county agent.
.
Mr.. Kettunen and Miss Van Heulen,
CT the State Boys and Girls Clubs
department, were in Baraga county
two days lasts week finishing up the
work Of the Handicraft and Sewing
Clubs.
Considering that, It was the boys
first attempt at this work they made
very creditable showings.
Six boys completed the project at
Skanee, four at Newton and one at
Keweenaw Bay. The Newton school
boys are county champions and to
Reuben Kinnunen belongs the highest
individual honors, although Kuana
Moilanen Of the Keweenaw Bay
school deserves considerable credit,
finishing his project even after all the
rest had quit.
= Eleven girls in al finished the, Sew
ing Club project, six at Newton and
i've at Keweenaw Bay. Laura Ross
berg scored the highest in work, story
and report. ~ =