GRASSHOPPERS AND OTHER INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1911 AND 1912. 21 



was very effective against grasshoppers, they substituted this for 

 the Paris Green used in making the Griddle Mixture. They used the 

 following formula : 



Sodium arsenite 1 pound; horse manure 120 to 150 pounds; 

 cheap molasses 1 pint. The arsenite of soda was dissolved in the 

 water, then added to the manure, stirring it well. 



This is cheaper than the Griddle Mixture and can be used in the 

 same way. It forms a very attractive bait for grasshoppers. It 

 was tested upon poultry to see whether these animals, in picking 

 grain from such material, would be injured. Two roosters were fed 

 upon it for some time with no bad results. Incidentally, it may be 

 said that flies are attracted by this compound in enormous quanti- 

 ties, and are killed by the hundreds in feeding upon it. After this 

 mixture had been exposed in the experiment with the roosters for a 

 day over a quart of dead flies was found on the floor of the shed con- 

 taining the poultry. This observation might be of value to those 

 who are making a fight against the house fly, and it has been sug- 

 gested that spraying piles of horse manure exposed in barns and 

 livery stables with a solution of eight pounds of sodium arsenite in 

 about twenty gallons of water, to which has been added about a 

 half pint of molasses, would be a useful measure against the house 



fly. 



Our most prominent work has been done with a poison spray. 

 Aware of the success of arsenite of soda used as a spray in South 

 Africa, it was decided to try it in Minnesota, thinking its use might 

 be applicable to large tracts in the Red River Valley which call for 

 treatment. We found that 3 pounds of commercial arsenite of soda , 

 11/2 gallons of molasses, in 180 gallons of water, made a mixture 

 which was fatal to hoppers and did not in any way injure crops. 

 We used, in most of our experiments, field sprayers which covered 

 23 feet at one time. Approximately 50 gallons were applied to the 

 acre at a cost of about 30c for material, this estimate based upon the 

 retail price of arsenite, namely, 22c per pound. The location of 

 water supply is an important feature in the cost of labor. Further, 

 we believe that when vegetation is quite rank an acre would call 

 for something more than 50 gallons. This poison did not kill imme- 

 diately, — from 24 to 36 hours elapsing before the insect gave up the 

 ghost, but it is to be noted that a partial paralysis was the im- 

 mediate result of partaking of the poison. The insect was imme- 

 diately made sick and ate nothing. 



We received from various farmers congratulations upon this 

 method, and statements of their success in using it. 



