APPENDIX XIX. ^MEANS OF DESTRUCTION. [219] 



the junction of the two, containing water or coal-oil or both. The 'hopperp, jumping, 

 will strike the canopy and fall into the reservoir. — [Eisley. 



Hebron, Thayer County. -^For destroying unfledged, have depended upon blackbirds 

 principally, they having proven themselves competent if in sufiicient numbers. For 

 full-grown, driving with smoke has been tr^ed wiuh moderate success. — [Fitchpatrick. 



Falls City, Eichardson Comity. — Pans of galvanized iron, b feet long, only practicable 

 on smooth i)rairie and short, small grain. Have been working a large brush on the 

 prairie with four horses. It is carried on wheels in front and weighted down behind. 

 Not 80 successful as expected. — [Hutchings. 



Farmers' Valley, Hamilton County. — Burning the prairie-grass destroyed large num- 

 bers of the young, unfledged locusts. — [Vosburgh. 



Sunlight, Cass County. — Burning prairie- grass, straw, and hay all satisfactory. — 

 [Babbit. 



Falls City, Richardson County. — One of the most effective means now being used is 

 coal-oil in shallow sheet-iron pans. — [Smith. 



Pleasant Hill, Saline County.— Envning straw. — [Abbott. 



Plattsmouth, Cass Comity. — Burning prairies and straw-piles. Hand-machine, 12 feet 

 long, drawn by two men. — [Child. 



Friend, Saline County. — 1. Harrowing during fall, winter, and early spring. 2. De- 

 stroying the insect by bushes, boards, &c., while very young. 3. Digging trenches, 

 and driving them in, where they are easily destroyed ; placing straw around growing 

 crops as a resort, and burning early in the morning and late at night. 4. Driving 

 them into unburned prairie and firing the same. 5. Various machines constructed for 

 their destruction. — [Whitcombe. 



Arago, lUchardson County. — Pans of sheet-iron or zinc, &o., with a mixture of kero- 

 sene oil, coal-tar, turpentine, and lime-water. This has proved very satisfactory. 

 Trenches have been dug. A machine-like a reaper, consisting of an elevator which car- 

 ries the insects from the front edge of the platform and crushes them there. Back of 

 this are two rollers which crush all that may escape the elevator. This works very 

 satisfactorily.— [Gerdes. 



Ponca, Dixon County. — A sheet-iron scoop drawn against the wind, the bottom hold- 

 ing kerosene oil. No means have been used for destroying the winged insects.— [Rock- 

 well. 



Steele City, Jefferson County. — There are several contrivances in use for catching the 

 young. I have just heard of one that catches them in front and passes them back 

 through two rollers to crush them. — [Gantt. 



IOWA. 



Estherville, Emmeit County. — Preserving the prairie-grass and burning on the 18th 

 May. — [Jarvis. 



Alta, Biiena Vista County. — Sheet-iron pan and coal-oil have given good satisfaction. 

 — [Crowell.] The catching of unfledged 'hoppers by machines has proved a great suc- 

 cess. Burning straw around gardens was resorted to with some success. The "Ne- 

 braska catcher" is almost altogether used now in this section. — [Tnompson. 



Pringhar, O'Brien County. — Unfledged: Coal-oil pans and ditches. Winged: Sheet- 

 iron boxes on wheels with high backs. 'Hoppers rise ; fall into box ; not very success- 

 ful.— [Langshore. 



Dakota City, Humloldt County. — The kerosene-oil pan is best. The same pan filled 

 with strong soap-suds did the same execution. Coal-tar pans were good, but more 

 trouble to use. — [Adams. 



Fort Dodge, Webster County. — A long box about one foot square, covered with wire- 

 cloth. The box is raised a little from the bottom piece to make a draught of air through. 

 A lip projects in front, something on the principle of the cow-catcher on an engine. 

 Drawn by horses or any other power. It is claimed that 140 acres can be effectually 

 cleared in one day. — [Mrs. Swain. 



Spirit Lake, Dickinson County. — A long box on runners, with a front made of tin ; the 

 top of wire-cloth. The insects are killed with hot water. Another machine, which 

 ai:)pears to be preferable, is composed of rollers, which revolve under a canopy of cloth, 

 the back part of which is white. The insects jump toward the light, drop on the roller 

 and are crushed. On the under side is a scraper to clear the rollers. It works well 

 for the young, and winged also. — [Mosher. 



Lake City, Calhoun County. — Rolling the fields with heavy rollers where the land is 

 smooth; scattering hay and straw in places where they are thick, and burning it; 

 burning prairie-grass in the spring. The great objection to this is that it destroys too 

 many young birds and eggs. — [Jack. 



Sioux City, Woodbury County. — Have the most confidence in the kerosene pan of any 

 of the means used for destroying locusts. — [Skinner. 



Hazard, Cherokee County. — Some have drawn straw and scattered it 6 to 8 feet wide, 

 and after driving the young 'hoppers into it have burned it. Some use a tin pan 12 

 feet long set in a wood box, and holding a little kerosene oil ; others, a similar one 6 



