ENTOMOLOGY 211 



they are inclined to remain rather close to their place of hatching 

 but as they grow they scatter about more and may become quite 

 evenly distributed through a large field. The tendency to remain 

 together in large flocks is more or less marked however, and partic- 

 ularly is this noticed late in the afternoon when they congregate 

 along the borders of the fields and upon the fences to spend the 

 night. So marked is this habit that where grasshoppers are abund- 

 ant it is a common sight to see a strip from ten to thirty or more feet 

 wide about the borders of an alfalfa field that is almost denuded of 

 vegetation. Sometimes the grasshoppers do great damage by as- 

 cending trees and eating fruit and foliage and gnawing the tender 

 bark from the twigs. Such injuries usually occur alongside an al- 

 falfa or pasture field from which the grasshoppers have migrated. 



There are many remedies that may be used to advantage against 

 grasshoppers. Which is best to use in a given case depends upon 

 circumstances. It may be best often to use a combination of re- 

 medial or preventive measures. The best of all artificial remedies, 

 where it can be used, is plowing deeply late in the fall or early in 

 the spring, all the ground where the eggs are abundant. Even the 

 young hoppers, when very small, may be turned under quite suc- 

 cessfully in this manner and destroyed. Where plowing cannot be 

 resorted to, a thorough harrowing, especially with a disk harrow, 

 will do much to destroy the eggs. Some will be crushed, others will 

 be eaten by birds and still others will succumb to the freezing and 

 thawing and drying when separated from the egg-mass. These rem- 

 edies must be applied before the young hoppers hatch. 



When the grasshoppers are quite small and travel slowly, they 

 may be killed along ditch banks and in other places where they are 

 abundant by covering the ground with straw and then burning it. 



Young hoppers may also be poisoned in large numbers by thor 

 oughly spraying the young weeds and other vegetation on the waste 

 land where they are hatching in large numbers with any of the 

 arsenical poisons, as Paris green, arsenite of lime, arsenate of lead, 

 etc. The poisons should be used rather strong. Later, when the 

 hoppers get into the crops, they may be poisoned quite successfully 

 by the use of arsenic-bran mash. Mix a pound of Paris green or 

 white arsenic with about 20 pounds of bran, moisten enough with 

 water so that the particles will adhere together in a crumbly mass, 

 and then sow broadcast where the hoppers are most abundant. Do 

 not use this where chickens feed. 



To keep grasshoppers out of trees, bandage the trunks with cot- 

 ton batting or printer's ink or axle grease. If either of the last two 

 named substances is used do not put it upon the bark of the tree 

 but upon heavy paper which is first wrapped about the trunk. If 

 the hoppers jump or fly into the trees, using poisonous sprays or 

 driving with whips will have to be resorted to. 



Hopper-Dozers. For open fields, the hopper-dozers, or catch- 

 ers, are probably our best remedy after* the grasshoppers have 

 hatched, The pan is made of sheet iron and the back is extended 



