Journal of the Department 

 OF Agriculture. 



Vol. v. SEPTEMBER, 1922. No. 3. 



Published monthly in English and Afrikaans by the Department of Agriculture 



Union of South Africa. 



Editor: G. W. Klerck. 



Subscription : Within the Union and South- West Africa, 5s« (otherwise 6Sm) per 

 annum, post free, payable in advance. 



Applications, with subscriptions, to be sent to the Government 

 Printer, Pretoria. 



NOTES. 



The Locust Invasion of 1921-22. 



The report of the Officer-in-Charge of Locust Administration, 

 Mr. R. H. Williams, on the 1921-22 campaign, is published in this 

 number of the Journal. It outlines the work carried out in combating 

 the locust invasion of the past season, the severest for many years and 

 a consequence of the great drought of 1919. Fortunately, the devas- 

 tation was not as serious as it could otherwise have been, for in many 

 .cases the season's crops had ripened too far to be damaged by the 

 locust, and, in addition, by means of the intelligence system in vogue 

 it was possible to give farmers timely warning of the approach of 

 the swarm in order to enable them to reap their crops betimes. As 

 to the future, it is anticipated that, given favourable hatching condi- 

 tions, there will be a widespread infestation again next season, though 

 its venue may vary somewhat from that of the past outbreak. In 

 some of the Cape districts, heavily infested last season, it is reported 

 that no egg-laying has taken place, and it is possible that they may 

 escape. But there is every likelihood that the ilying swarms from the 

 Kalihari that invaded the western and northern Transvaal districts 

 have deposited eggs there, and organization is proceeding apace for 

 the extension of the campaign to those parts. The Department 

 depends on the co-operation of farmers in their fight with the pest, 

 and it is gratifying to state that in no previous campaign have they 

 assisted the officers of the Department so readily and well as in the 

 past one. Therefore, althoug'h next season's infestation may be as 

 intense and widespread as the one just passed, Mr. Williams is confi- 

 dent that, with the adoption of the farmers' circle system and the 

 loyal assistance of the farmer generally, the organization now in 

 existence will be able to cope with the situation. 



7 



