270 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 3 



by the Entomologist making a tour through the infested country', dur- 

 ing which illustrated lectures were given, to interest the farmers in 

 the work. Some time before the hoppers were due to hatch out, the 

 poison and pumps had been distributed to centres convenient for dis- 

 tribution to farmers. Then locust officers were appointed. The 

 Transvaal is divided into several districts over each one of which, in 

 the affected area was placed a locust officer, directly responsible to the 

 Entomologist as Chief Locust officer. Large districts were sub- 

 divided and officers placed over each division directly responsible to 

 the district officers. Then under these sub-district officers were men 

 whose duty it was to go to native locations and government lands to 

 see that all hoppers were destroyed on them, and others to go among 

 the farmers, giving demonstrations and persuading each man to kill 

 the locusts on his own farm. Only men who thoroughly understood 

 the farmers and could use tact and discretion in dealing with them 

 were chosen as locust officers. The locust staff often included as many 

 as 160 men. This thorough system of organization meant that every 

 man was at his post doing his duty carefully and promptly. The 

 Entomologist was always at headquarters and by telegraph and tele- 

 phone directed the whole campaign. The work was executed quickly 

 and with no waste of money. 



It, of course, took several seasons before all the farmers fell into 

 line, but now there is scarcely a farmer in the Transvaal wtio will not 

 swear hy the locust killers. 



From a study of the Transvaal locust reports Mr. Simpson soon 

 saw that the Transvaal alone could not solve the locust problem. In 

 spite of her good work, each year new swarms invaded the colony from 

 outside and necessitated its repetition. He accordingly placed the 

 matter before the High Commissioner of South Africa, who called a 

 conference in Pretoria in August, 1906, to discuss the question. This 

 conference resulted in the establishment at Pretoria of the Central 

 South African Locust Bureau. This was largely Mr. Simpson's idea, 

 but almost before its organization was begun Mr. Simpson died and 

 its management was left to his successor. The Bureau was under the 

 direction of the Transvaal Entomologist but was supported by funds 

 from all the Colonies and territories in South Africa including the 

 Province of Mocambique and German South West Africa. Its work 

 was the collection and tabulation of information regarding locusts 

 from the whole of South Africa. The Cape Colony had already in- 

 troduced a system somewhat similar to that of the Transvaal for col- 

 lecting locust reports and the other colonies and territories fell into 

 line. These reports all went to Pretoria and were there tabulated 



