32 



THE applh; leaf ikipi'e 



of the insects. Evidentl}-, however, the Criddle Mixture had not 

 been used early enough, for hundreds of live hoppers were seen to 

 every one dead. The principal species seen were Mclaiiopits fciinir- 

 nibntm and .1/. bivitattus. 



A few reports have reached us of their depredations on grain 

 this season, and all Minnesotans know what ruin they can work upon 

 wheat and other cereals when they are present in large numbers. In 

 order to prevent a possible injurious attack upon our grains next 

 year, we take this opportunity to urge upon farmers visited by them 

 this year to take certain measures to protect their next year's crop. 



PMg. 15. Hopperdozer for grasshoppers witli partitions. After Riley. 



Preventing Hatching by Fall Plowing: Grasshoppers lay their 

 eggs in the surface of the soil (stubble, pastures, fields, roadsides, 

 etc.) to a depth of about one inch. Their eggs are laid in a pocket 

 made by the female, and the young hoppers, upon hatching, climb up 

 to the surface and into the open air. It has been found that he 

 always instinctively crawls up, even though the pocket be turned up- 

 side down, and manifestly if he crawls up when the pocket is up- 

 side down, he reaches the end of the pocket, cannot get out, and dies. 

 Plowing turns the pockets upside down, and if co-operation among 

 neighboring farmers is practiced, is the best method available for 

 controlling the grasshopper situation. This plowing should not take 

 place until all egg-laying is finished, and is preferably done in the 

 fall, though it might be done, when necessary, in the early spring, 

 not later than May 10th or 15th, for grasshoppers are apt to issue in 

 normal years in May or early in June. Inu'thcr, the plowing of land 

 in tillage is not alone sufficient, if eggs are known to exist in danger- 

 ous numbers elsewhere. Any land known to harbor eggs in quantity 

 is a menace until it is plowed. Manifestly, for one man to plow while 

 his neighbor leaves untouched egg-infested land on his side of the 

 fence, is labor wasted, and for evident reasons. 



