MACHINES FOR CRUSHING LOCUSTS. 371 



Mr. J. 0. Melcbcr, of O'Quinn, Texas, constructed one which he de- 

 scribes as follows : 



It is constructed on' tbe Land-lawnmower style, mounted on li<j;ht wheels, a disturb- 

 inf? rim 8 or 10 feet long, passing low over the ground to stir the 'hoppers up. Just 

 behind the disturber are two sheet-metal rollers, one of which drives an endless band. 

 As soon as the 'hoppers jump over the disturber, the band catches them and crushes 

 them between the rollers. The rollers, being of sheet-iron, are elastic enough to 

 press uniformly at any given point. A rack of wire w^eb or cloth ascends over the t( p 

 of the machine to prevent the 'hoppers from escaping. It is operated by two men 

 pushing the machine before them. 



Mr. John Wise, of Nebo, Piatt County, Nebraska, says (in a letter 

 dated May 26, 1877) a good machine can readily be made by having 

 " two revolving rollers mounted on wheels, the rollers to be four or six 

 inches above ground, so arranged, if need be, to be adjusted either 

 higher or lower, the upper to revolve on the top of the lower," &c. To 

 a contrivance of this sort handles could be attached for pushing ; and 

 with the addition of a frame covered with cloth or muslin projecting for- 

 ward and outward. 



In addition to the preceding contrivances for crushing locusts is one 

 invented by Mr. F. Peteler, of Minneapolis, Minn. 



Fig. 81 represents a front view, and Fig. 82 a side view, of the same 

 machine. 



In a communication from the inventor, dated June 8, 1877, the follow- 

 ing description is given : The machine is intended to be drawn by 

 horses, the drawing representing one to be drawn by a team. *^ The 

 frame is mounted upon two wheels. The front is a sheet-iron platform, 

 over which revolves an elevator made of slats, which carry the locusts 

 into boxes, where they pass between rollers, are crushed, and fall to the 

 ground. The sides and top or back are wire screws, the whole forming 

 a scoop 16 feet long (on the bottom 19 feet), 8 feet high, the top of 

 which can be lowered or raised according to the height of the grain or 

 grass." 



We annex a more detailed description : 



AA, driving-wheels; B, guiding-whetl; I), setting-lever; d, retaining-post; G, 

 endless carrier ; Hfe, gearing for elevator and crushing-shaft ; I, crushing-rollers ; 

 L, set-screw to spiral spring ; I, spiral spring to press rollers together when neces- 

 sary ; N, slats on endless chain with sheet-iron projections to hold the locusts ; M, 

 drag-chain (or strips of light wood) to stir the locusts. 



Mr. Peteler believes that, with a single horse machine, 40 or 50 acres 

 can be gone over in a single day, and by changing horses more can be 

 done ; but we, unfortunately, had no opportunity to test the practical 

 working of the machine, as, by the time it was perfected, simpler and 

 satisfactory methods were extensively being employed in Minnesota, and 

 the inventor did not feel encouraged to manufacture his machine. In- 

 deed, its expense is too great to warrant its manufacture, except to 

 order by clubs of farmers. To use Mr. Peteler's own words : " This 

 machine is intended for local or State authorities to use on uncultivated 

 lands adjoining farms' and unsettled prairies, in order to destroy the 

 insects during the entire season; for that purpose there should be 



