502 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OP AGRICULTURE. 



fsuiul tlieir way to tlic ])oiiltry range alter haviup: eaten of the poison- 

 ous uiixturc. Mr. Boyntou, whose farm adjoins the Buhach plantation 

 on the west, stated to me that many of the locusts which had eaten of 

 the poisonous mixture would fall into an irrigating- ditch that llovved 

 through his poultry yard, and many of the locusts were thus carried 

 within the reach of his fowls; still he was not aware that any of the lat- 

 ter had died from the effects of having eaten of the poisoned locusts. 



In fact, I did not learn of a single instance where this mixture had 

 caused the death of any person, nor of any domestic animal, allliough 

 it was used very extensively in many parts of the San Joaquin Valley. 

 Neither were the birds killed in any considerable numbers from hav- 

 ing eaten either of the mixture itself or of the locusts that had been 

 poisoned by it. During the four weeks following the putting out of 

 this mixture upon about 300 acres of the Buhach plantation, I found 

 only about half a dozen dead birds that had evidently met their dentli 

 through the agency of this mixture; these consisted of three or four 

 meadow larks, a bee-bird, and a field sparrow. 



Kabbits and hares, or "jack-rabbits," as they are commonly called, 

 were destroyed in largo numbers by this mixture. Aiter the greater 

 numbers of locusts upon the Buhach plantation had been destroyed the 

 work of extermination was carried into a large ])atch of wild suullowcrs 

 adjoining the plantation on the north, and as one 'of the results, at least 

 two dozen hares paid the penalty with tlieir lives. 



The four greyhounds belonging to the plantation were among tliese 

 poisoned hares almost every day; still I never saw one of them attempt 

 to feed upon the j)oisoned haresj certain it is that not one of tiiem uiet 

 his death from this cause. 



As the mixture is saturated with water before it is put among the 

 plants infested Avith locusts, there is no danger of its being blown about 

 by the wind; and there is also very little danger of its being dei)0sited 

 upon the fruit by the feet of birds and insects that may have alighted 

 upon the mixture and afterwards llown lo and alighted upon the fruit. 

 As the mixture becomes dry its particles adhere together, forming a 

 solid mass Avhich could not be blown about by the wind. 



1 have never seen this poisonous mixture used in grain Gelds, but 

 know of no reason why it would not prove very elTectual in such lields. 

 Great care should be exercised in using it in alfalfa lields, but if it were 

 pliiced upon small j)ieccs of boards it could doubtless be used with en- 

 tire safety in such lields; but of course it would not be safe to pjisturo 

 any animal in such fields, even after the poison had been removed. 



\Vliere it is desired to destroy locusts infesting trees or shrubs in 

 ]ilaces M'here it would not be safe to use the poisonous mixture described 

 above, this cau be accomplished by placing blankets upon the gtound 

 beneath the tree or shrub and spraying the latter with a soluti(Ui eoiu- 

 posed of 1 })Ound of buhach thoroughly stirred in 10 gallons of water. 

 Tliis solution will be more eft'ectual if 2 or 3 ])Ounds of glucose is adde<l 

 to it, first dissolving the glucose in hot water; the addition of the gbi- 

 eo.se is for the ])urpose of causing the solution to adliere more firndy to 

 llie boilies of the locusts, while its prescJice does not apjiear to ha\e an 

 injurious effect upon the leaves of such trees as the Carolina Toplai-. 



The best time lor applying this solution is late at night, and the stilier 

 the night the more effect the solution will have ujjou the locusts. Li i*. 

 few minutes after it is applied the locusts will begin to drop down upon 

 the blauket placed under the tree, and in the course of half an hour all 

 of the locusts that have been touched by the solutiou will be lyiug upon 

 the blanket in a perfectly helpless condition, when they can easily be 



