ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [February, 



DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY, 



Edited by Prof. JOHN B. SMITH, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J. 



Papers for this department are solicited. They should be sent to the editor, Prof. John 

 B. Smith, Sc.D., New Brunswick, N. J. 



(See Editorial, page 45.) 



Grasshoppers in Minnesota. Dr. Otto Lugger has sent us a very inter- 

 esting account of his operations against the migratory grasshoppers in 

 his State, the essential points of which are as follows: Very early in July 

 letters were received from Taylor Falls, Minn., in which it was stated that 

 great damage was being done by grasshoppers, and that farmers in that 

 region feared to lose their entire crops. After consulting with the proper 

 authorities it was agreed tlfat steps should be taken to assist the farmers 

 against this insect, that all possible means should be employed to prevent 

 the pest from extending over a larger area than already occupied. It was 

 found that a space from 36 to 40 square miles was more or less badly 

 infested with grasshoppers; in some places the ground was perfectly black 

 with them, while in. others near by but few could be detected. This 

 showed that the young were still in the vicinity of the place in which they 

 were born. The damage at that time was slight, as apparently only pas- 

 ture land had yet suffered; but the young hoppers were moving towards 

 Timothy and grain fields, so that no time was to be lost. It was con- 

 cluded to utilize " hopper-dozers" and kerosene oil, as no other remedies 

 could well be applied at that late period. Consequently 230 hopper- 

 dozers were made and operated near Taylor's Falls, Rush City and 

 Duluth, which required in all 95 barrels of kerosene oil. Besides this, 

 smaller amounts were bought at the beginning of the work, in all about 

 ten barrels, and in some cases the farmers also furnished some oil. The 

 hopper-dozers were made as follows: A piece of ordinary sheet iron such 

 as is used for stove pipes was turned up i^ inches around the edge and 

 riveted at the corners. This made a shallow pan about 8 feet long, 2 feet 

 broad and \ l / 2 inches deep. To the bottom of this were riveted six small 

 strips which could be fastened to the three runners on which the pan 

 rested. At the rear of the pan was screwed a light wooden frame as long 

 as the pan and \y 2 feet high over which canvass was stretched. This 

 frame has the important office of throwing back into the oil all those 

 grasshoppers that would otherwise jump clean over the pan. The run- 

 ners were usually made from sapplings, or small pieces of board curved 

 upward in front to prevent them from catching in the ground. The front 

 ends of the runners were fastened by screws to a cross piece which was 

 drawn in turn by two ropes; one at each end. These ropes were joined 

 in front and fastened to a single tie. Sometimes two hopper-dozers were 

 fastened to a long pole by means of short ropes and this was very easily 



