CRUSHING THE YOUNG LOCUSTS. 



365 



Fig. 67.— The Dru^i Locust-crusher: Vertical section. 



weigbted down with stone and drawn by horses, were in some instances 

 used last summer, but with less success than was anticipated. 



Several machines, most of them patented, were for the first time used 

 during the past year to further the crushing of the young, and while 



none of them are likely 

 to take the place of the 

 more simple methods of 

 catching, to be presently 

 described, we neverthe- 

 less feel that it devolves 

 upon us to describe some 

 of them. That repre- 

 sented in the accompa- 

 nying illustration was 

 invented by Mr. George 

 B. Drum, of Syracuse, 

 Kebr. (Patent No. 187,- 

 258, dated February 13, 

 1877). Fig. 67 is a ver- 

 tical section on line x. Fig. 68 is a plan view with a part of the top 

 removed, showing the mechanism. 



To the front of the principal frame A of the vehicle is attached, by a hinge or mova- 

 ble joint, a scraper- 



<Si^' " - — - 



frame, B. The front 

 edge of B is carried 

 along or near the 

 ground for the purpose 

 of collecting and start- 

 ing the insects from the 

 gtouud. Within the 

 frame B are two rolls, 

 B' B^, carrying an end- 

 less apron, B^, of can- 

 vas or other flexible 

 material. On B^ are 

 secured one or more 

 strips of wood or metal, 

 B^, the purpose of these 

 strips B-^ being to keep 

 the canvas straight, 

 and carry the insects 

 f o r ward upon the apron, 

 and prevent their roll- 

 ing out and escaping. 

 The rolls B' and apron 

 B2 are driven by a belt 

 from one of the wheels 

 A^ of the vehicle. Upon 

 the frame A is secured 

 a brush, A^, to sweep 

 the insects and drive 

 them toward the rolls 

 C, and also to prevent 

 them from being carried around with the apron B^. Upon the frame A, and imme- 

 diately in the rear of the brush A\ are placed two or more crushing-rolls, C C, of wood 

 or metal. These rolls C C run in boxes, connected by the spring c for the purpose of 

 giving the rolls C C a yielding or elastic pressure upon each other. The rolls C C are 

 driven by gearing from one of the wheels A^ of the vehicle, and in such direction that 



♦-The Drum Locust-crusher : Plan view. 



