10 GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 



of intelligence in the matter of this spraying. We desire to express 

 our appreciation of the many favors shown us by the High School 

 authorities at Fergus Falls, and by other citizens, notably C. R. 

 Wright & Co. 



An important feature of the work in 1911 and one which took 

 almost the entire time of the leader, and also a large share of the 

 time of one of the other workers consisted in answering calls of 

 individual farmers who needed advice or encouragement, or both. 

 This has taken much time and much money, as one will readily 

 realize, and we determined in the fall of 1911 that this part of the 

 work would have to be discontinued. We are willing to meet and 

 discuss the question with groups of farmers, w^hen such meetings 

 are called for this purpose, but we find that frequently farmers who 

 had no special occasion for our help, summoned us, although quite 

 indifferent to what we had to say and to our advice. This was not, 

 by any means, always the case, and we believe that, in spite of the 

 large expense occasioned by this variety of work, much good was 

 accomplished by our individual visits. 



The attitude of the faimers and citizens generally was one of 

 interest and showed a co-operative spirit ; at the same time, many 

 instances were met with which were discouraging. This, we be- 

 lieve, is particularly true among those renting farms, who took the 

 attitude that it was not worth while to make any effort, or that, per- 

 haps, the grasshoppers would not be so bad another year, or they 

 were leaving to go to what seemed to them more promising fields, 

 or they doubted the efficacy of the treatment advised, or they 

 thought, some at least, that the State should bear all expense in 

 treating individual farms. We found criticism and lack of sym- 

 pathy on the part of real estate dealers, who felt that their business 

 interests were being interfered with by what looked to them like 

 undesirable advertising. In one case, where a hopperdozer with its 

 victims ( over a bushel) was displayed in a public street, to show 

 the efficacy of this treatment, interested and misguided citizens 

 who had land for sale in that vicinity ordered the machine and dead 

 hoppers to be removed. 



Quoting again from Mr. Somes' report for 1911: 



"After about May 20th the calls by mail and by wire from farmers asking 

 advice regarding methods of combating this pest became so numerous that 

 practically all of my time for the greater part of the summer was taken up in 

 replying to these. At times I had as high as thirty calls per day by mail alone. 

 It is needless to remark that the visits entailed in responding to these calls 

 meant almost continuous travel. Our plan, suggested by yourself, was to visit 

 the interested parties and give advice as to methods and especially to urge the 

 energetic and concerted action by the men of the communitv that is necessarv to 



