414 Agricultural Gazette of N.S. W. [_Maij 2, 1908. 



\i 'I'l-aiiuif ;i lic;i\\' Ini; rullcr u;is used on a swanii (if ydiiiiL;' Impjicrs 

 advanciiiu' o\cr a ciilliN at ion iiaddnck. It dcst rnycil a small piTccntanc mdy, 

 as the i:i-i)iind was tdo irri'mdar and lianl, and tin' nilli-i- passed liai inlcssly 

 alxiNc nianv. W'itl: a licaNici- I'oller and inuic I'avdUi'aMc uiound tliis nictlind 

 mii-'ht Ix' uf \alu(' fur use onci- liniitf^d ureas. 



Conccniinj;' arsenic spi-avs reported to be applieil with success in South 

 Africa, it niav h^^ poiii'ed out that tliough i^rass poisoned with this spray 

 destroys the lioppei's rea(hly, it cannot of conr.-e he useij on yrass oi' in 

 cultiva' ion paddoek> wlicre stork is run. This fact limits its use liere to 

 paddocks closed to sto(d\', or where a strip aloiiL? the ed.u'e of a crop is spiaV'-'i. 

 This latter nietliod de.stroys a large percentage of the hopp-i-s advancing into 

 a crop before they have entered fai-. A stri]i of gra.ss in tlie line of advance 

 of the hoppers ma\- similarly l)e sprayed with arsenic, but needs to b^; 

 teni])orarily fenced oil' fi-om stock. Temporary hariiers of, say, a ."i-foot 

 bagging or lirush fence, act as checks to mo\ing hoppers and assemble them, 

 when they can be treated by contact or aiseiue spi-ays, or the use of hopper- 

 dozers described later. Light fencing around the egg patches would allow of 

 spraying with ar.senic and destroying the young hoppers as they hatch and 

 feed, witliout danger to stock. 



Some s])ray .seems itMpiired, howevei', that will destroy hoppei-s and yet 

 not be harmful to stock. Tt was noticed that grasshoppers in th^- breedini; 

 cages readily drank wat-r spiinkled on the grass. This suggested testing 

 some solutions that might desti'oy the hop|iers upon their drinking a small 

 quantity. A solution of p )tassium cyatdde quickly destroyed them, hut tins 

 is open to the same objections as arsenic solution. I made a few trials at 

 Muswellbrook through the kindness of ]N[r. Jas. White. Powdered liorav 

 having l)een used in destroying cockroaches, a solution of 'l 11). bora.x, 2 Ih. 

 treacle, to 6 gallons of water, was sprayed at nddday on the grass about a 

 small swai'ni of half-grown hoppers. Also, a spray of (S oz. sulphuric acid, 

 2 lb. treacle, to (i gallons water, was tried. Th(M-e was no apparent results 

 obtained fiom the use of these sprays, and they were found to dry too (juickly 

 in the sun. 



Burning over the egi; patches wlcre the hoppers are hatching is effective, 

 dry erass or straw beinu' used. Aiiait from the daimer of yrass tires, this 

 method could not be used o\'er large areas, though of great value in checking 

 the spread of loi-d swarms. At Tocal, nearWest Maitland, Mr. F. Reynolds 

 practically wiped out the hatching hoppers by setting men to burn over the 

 egg patches in his paddocks with hre-brands. Ivu-li brand consisted of bagging 

 •soaked in kerosene, and wrapped tightly ai'ound a six or eight foot rod. 

 Wlien lighted they w ei'e swejjt to and fro by hand, and the e)X.ii, patches were 

 one liv one ti'eated in this fashion, the tiny hoppei's being killed in hundred.s 

 at every stroke. Had the iioppers hatching in the neighbouring paddocks 

 been treated similarlv, good results could have l)een expected in ihis district. 

 As it was, however, within a few days afteru-ards, the grasshojipers spi-ead 

 across from adjacent propi'riies and the good ivsults of 31r. lleynolds ellorts 

 were somewhat lost. 



