Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1932-06-23
HOPPER MENACE
IS APPARENT
Pine County is Faced With Grave
Problem If Pests Continue to
Multiply.

The grasshopper menace is coming
to Pine county according to reports
from several communities during the
past week. A few communities have
reported that the pests are Matching
IL great numbers and that slight
amount of damage has been done al
ready. especially in the Finlayson.
Cloverdale and Rock Creek sections.
Many farmers are unaware of the
menace they are facing, if more hatch
and if those already hatched sonie
sections mature, a good deal u dam
age will be done this season, Els the
belief of Fred B. Willrett, county
agent.
Rock Creek was the first section to
report grasshoppers Matching in
great numbers. While Cloverdale,
Brook Park, and Hinckley reported
some Matching. At Finlayson where
farmers have noticed some damage
from hoppers, a meeting was held
Saturday morning, June Is, which
was called by j. H. Arth, local mer-
chant, Superintendent of Schools
Brandes, and John Parvey, farmer
living southwest of Finlayson. A sur
vey of the situation was made, hav-
ing the farmers report what their
estimation was and control measures
were discussed by County Agent Will
rett.
AS result of the meeting, Mr.. Par
vey, who lived in Marshall county
last year, county where the grass
hoppers did most of their damage,
reported that he predicted great
deal of trouble in that section of the
country, as he came to Finlayson last
fall to put up supply of hay and
stated that it was his belief that there
were as many grasshoppers here last
year as there were in Marshall county
in 1880. This would mean that if as
large percentage of eggs laid last
year would hatch, it would be pos
sible that the menace would be as
serious in Pine county this year, as
it was in Marshall county and the
Red River Valley last year.
The farmers present elected ]. H.
Arth as the community leader to
keep in touch with the situation and
to make arrangements for mixing
poison and distributing it to farmers
if Pine county did not get any from
the state.
Application for poison from the
state was made by the county agent
to A. j. Ruggles, state entomologist at
the university. Mr.. Ruggles reported
that the entire amount of poison that
was secured from the States appro-
priation of 100000 had been allotted
to the Western counties and that it
may be possible that if the situation
demanded large amount of poison
in Pine county the same would be
forthcoming if the next appropria-
ton from the state was large enough
to cover all that had now been ap-
piled for.
The formula recommended for
poisoning hoppers in Minnesota is as
follows: coarse wheat bran, 100
pounds; paris green or crude arsenic.
S pounds; molasses (black strap 9
gallons; water, 10 gallons.
Fifty pounds of the wheat bran
could be substituted with so pounds
of old sawdust and even very good
results have been obtained with the
entire amount of bran being replaced
with sawdust.
Crude arsenic is recommended over
the paris green as it is much cheap
err per pound. There is no difference
in it's effect on the hoppers. The
cheapest form of molasses should be
used such as black strap. This may
be substituted with five pounds of
common salt If the molasses is not
available.
Bulletins giving information on
mixing the bait and distributing 1t
may be secured at the county agents
office at Hinckley.