¥.) 



"2. Artificial means of destroying the Eggs. — The fact that man can accomplish most 

 in his wnrfarp against locusts by destroying the eggs, has long been recognised by Euro- 

 pean and Asiatic Governments liable to suffer from the insects. The eggs are laid in 

 masses, just beneath the surface of the ground, seldom to a greater depth than an inch ; 

 and high, dry ground is preferred for the purpose. Very often the ground is so com- 

 pletely filled with these egg-masses, that not a spoonful of the soil can be turned up with- 

 out e.<posing them, and a harrowing, or shallow ploughing, will cause the surface to look 

 quite whitish as the masses break up and bleach from exposure to the atmosphere. Great 

 numbers will be destroyed by such harrowing or ploughing, as they are not only thereby 

 more exposed to the attacks of natural enemies, l)ut they lose vitality through the bleach- 

 ing and desiccating influence of the dew, and rain and sun. If deeply turned under by 

 the plough, many of them will rot, and the young that chance to hatch will come forth too 

 late the nest yeai' to do much harm — providing the same ground be not re-turned so as to 

 bring the eggs to the surface in the spring. Excess of moisture for a few days is fatal to 

 the eggs, and they may very easily be destroyed where irrigation is practicable. Where 

 stock can be confined and fed on soil filled with such eggs, many of these will be destroyed 

 by the trampling. All these means are obviously insufficient, however, for the reason that 

 the eggs are too often placed where none of them can be employed. In such cases they 

 should be collected and destroyed by the inhabitants, and the State should offer some in- 

 ducement in the way of bounty for such collection and destruction. Every bushel of eggs 

 destroyed is equivalent to a hundred acres of corn saved, and when we consider the 

 amount of destitution caused in some of the Western States by the locust invasion of 1874, 

 and that in many sections the ground was known to be filled with eggs — that, in other 

 Avords, the earth was sown with the seeds of future destruction — it is surprising that the 

 Legislatures of those States did not make some effort to avert future injury by offering a 

 liberal price per bushel for the eggs. A few thousand dollars taken out of the State 

 treasury for this purpose would be well spent, and be di^ributed among the very people 

 most in need of assistance. 



" 3. Destruction of the Unfledged Young. — As I have stated in the articles already alluded 

 to, heavy rolling, where the surface of the soil is sufficiently firm, destroys the larger portion 

 of them, but is most advantageously employed when the insects are most sluggish. They 

 drive almost as readily as sheep, aiid may be burned in large quantities by being driven into 

 windrows or piles of burning hay or straw. But the experience of the present year convinces 

 me that by far the most effectual way for man to protect his crops and do battle to these 

 young locust armies — especially where, as in West Missouri, this spring, there was no hay or 

 straw to burn — is by ditching. A ditch two feet wide and two feet deep, with perpendicular 

 sides, offers an effectual barrier to the young insects. They tumble into it and accumulate, 

 and die at the bottom in large quantities. In a few days the stench becomes great, and 

 necessitates the covering up of the mass. In order to keep the main ditch open, therefore, it 

 is best to dig pits or deeper side ditches at short intervals, into which the hoppers will accu- 

 mulate, and may be buried. We hear much talk about the powcrlessncss of man before this 

 mighty locust plague ; but I am quite confidcDt that here we have a remedy that is at once 

 thorough and effectual, whereby the people of some of the States, at least, may avert in future 

 such evil as that which Ijefel them this spring. There have been a number of partial atr 

 tempts at ditching by simply turning a couple of furrows with the plough. Even these will 

 often divert the encroaching insects from their course ; but they can never be relied on, and 

 you may rest assured that whenever you hear a man declare that ditching is no protection, 

 he refers to such slovenly hall'-niadc ditches. No instance has como to my knowledge 

 where a ditch, such as I first described, has failed to effectually keep off the insects. Made 

 around ;i field about hatching time, no hoppers will get into that field till they acquire wings, 

 and by that time the principal danger is over, and the insects arc fast disappearing. If any 

 should hatch within the iuqlosure, they are easily driven into the ditches dug in different parts 

 of the field. 



'• There are various other ways of catching and destroying the young locusts, as driving 



them into converging barriers by moans of ropes dragged on the ground, with a person at 



each end, and then crushing them with shovels or buruiug them liy means of torches made of 



rags and dipped in coal oil and attached to sticks ; catching them with nets, &c. ; but nothing 



K 



