2l8 THE BOOK OF ALFALFA 



"Many grasshoppers will be seen strike the sheet- 

 iron back, drop into the pans and immediately jump out 

 again. Those farmers who observed the experiments 

 were at first of the opinion that the locusts that jumped 

 out had jumped away 'to live another day.' The writer 

 asked those interested to watch the insects and note the 

 actions of grasshoppers that had jumped out. In every 

 case the report was that the insects became sick and 

 soon died. In fact, persons going over fields where 

 a day or so before the hopper dozer had been at work, 

 were impressed with the number of dead grass- 

 hoppers on the ground. An examination showed the 

 presence of coal-oil upon the body. This kerosene and 

 water is an external irritant, and my observations have 

 been that the mixture is more effective than the oil alone. 



"The use of the machine may be best shown by 

 examples. In Ford county, Kansas, a large tract of 

 alfalfa was cut, and the locusts at once began moving into 

 a large field of Kafir corn which had been sown broad- 

 cast. The hopper dozer was drawn back and forth across 

 the end of the corn field nearest the alfalfa land until a 

 portion of the field about twenty rods deep had been gone 

 over. Here it was apparent that there were very few 

 grasshoppers; or, in other words, the advance line of 

 the locusts' march only extended twenty rods into the 

 field. Two days later the same area of ground was cov- 

 ered, but not as many insects were taken. Grasshoppers 

 no longer entered this corn and the hopper dozer was no 

 longer used at this point. 



"It has been my experience with this machine that 

 after it has passed over vegetation it does not injure the 



