STo. 2. ] The Locust Invasion of 1889—92. 85 



" The method principally adopted to destroy the locusts was by burning them with 

 dry grass, When swarming in trees or bushes this seems to be the only effective 

 method. When in open ground it is easy to drive them to lines or clumps of dry grass 

 in which they swarua, and which is lighted when the whole swarm lias collected. The 

 objection to this method, however, is the enormous expenditure of grass, even when 

 used economically, as was done when the men became experienced in the work. Large 

 quantities of grass were bought, but the Executive Engineer placed at my disposal 

 a large quantity of old thatch, without which it would have been impossible to have 

 provided the quantity of grass required. Kei osine was tried witli the grass. It was 

 used chiefly to burn the locusts out of trees and bushes, but it was found after trial 

 that in most cases the grass was nearly as effective without kerosine, a great deal of 

 which was required to produce any result. 



"It was found that grass could be much economised by digging a small trench about 

 a foot deep and a foot wide, tilling the bottom with a little grass and laying the same 

 lightly on the earth thrown upon the side opposite to that towards which the locusts 

 were being driven. A little more grass sprinkled round the trench after the swarm 

 had been driven into it, and set fire to, effectively secured the destruction of the swarm 

 with but little expenditure of grass. 



" Pits were also dug into which the locusts were driven and then buried. This 

 plan is said to answer well when the insects are small, but when, as in the present 

 case, they are large and active, it was found that they could not be kept in the pits 

 unless they were dug very deep, and even then many succeeded in getting away. 



4< I had the opportunity of trying the method said to have been used with great 

 success in Cyprus. Low canvas screens were made from condemned tents supplied 

 from the arsenal, and strips of American cloth, over which the locusts cannot crawl 

 were sewn to their upper edge. In front of these screens, which were set up in the 

 path of the locusts, pits were dug, round which an edging of tin was placed, up which 

 the locusts could not crawl. Driven against these screens the locusts either hopped 

 into the pit themselves, or were driven in by men who eventually surrounded them. 

 The advantages of this plan are the extent of ground that is covered, the comparatively 

 few men that are required, and the completeness of the operation, as if the screens are 

 sound and the drive conducted with skill and patience, scarcely any locusts can 

 escape being driven into the pits. The tin rim obviates the necessity of the pits being 

 dug deep, 2 or at most 3 feet being sufficient. The rims used were 4 feet by 

 2 feet, an edging of 2^ inches of tin on the ground suiface round the pit, and the 

 same width on the inside edge of it. 



"I regret that I knew of this plan too late to provide sufficient screens for general 

 use. I believe that this system will be found most efficacious, and feel confident that 

 had we been prepared with this apparatus the work of destruction would have been 

 carried on with less trouble, and with better results." 



In Jhangj according" to a crop report issued in June 1&91, twenty 

 thousand maunds of locusts had up to that time been destroyed. 



The above comprises all detailed information which has reached the 

 Museum on the subject of what was done in the Punjab in the spring 

 of 1891, but numerous incidental notices have been received of the work 

 of destruction which seems to have gone on systematically in all districts 

 where young locusts hatched out. 



With regard to what was done in Sincl and Rnjputana, where e£-g- 



