35 



became covered with young locusts. On 25 acres of wheat he saved 

 223 bushels, and on eight acres of oats 400 bushels. All this was 

 at a cost of $3 for tar. 



Mr. N. V. McDowell, of Bigelow, Nobles county, who has 

 fought the locusts persistently ever since they came in 1873, by 10 

 days' extra labor in hauling and burning straw, saved a fair crop 

 on 55 out of TO acres cultivated, but his exertions were rendered 

 useless by the raids of July and August. Even after these he was 

 able to harvest five bushels of wheat to the acre on early sowing. 



The only crop of small grain harvested in the town of Holly, 

 Murray county, this year, was by Mr. J. M. King. He writes: 



" I put in about 50 days' labor for one man. I caught 100 bushels in my 

 net, and destroyed as many more by scattering straw over their hutching 

 grounds and burning them. I also put to flight swarms and droves of them 

 after they began to fly by use of bags nailed on to from 25 to 50 feet of pole 

 or board, with which I trailed back and forth across my fields, at times 

 driving them like sheep, and at other times not making much impression. 

 I saved 450 bushels of wheat from 52 acres, but firmly believe that if we had 

 had a favorable season, the hoppers would have hurt it but little; but Che 

 dry weather, coming as it did, seemed to kill it." 



The following experience is also worthy of being recorder 



'•Mr. S. W. Danforth, of Madclia, Watonwan county, after having ce re- 

 solved (in 1874) that he would put in no crop whatever should the locusts 

 deposit eggs on his farm a second time, resolved once more in 187G that he 

 would determine whether he or the locusts should be master of his farm. 

 On the north side of his wheat field was a prairie ridge where the locusts 

 hatched in the spring.- These, while very young, began to come into the 

 field on the north, and had reached it before being discoverd. He began by 

 burning them with straw on the edge of the field and on the adjoining prai- 

 rie, constructing a ditch along the side of the field at the same time. 

 Smaller ditches were also made inside the field to stop those which had al- 

 ready entered. When young, they were also delayed by simply harrowing 

 over the soil and presenting a rough surface for them to crawl over. Seven 

 or eight clays were spent in this way, and after the ditch was finished, ic 

 turned away the locusts so completely that the work was considered done, 

 and the crop saved. On the western edge of his field was a strip of prairie 

 grass, 40 rods wide, and beyond this some stubble and old corn grounds, be- 

 longing to a neighbor. Here the locusts hatched out abundantly. About a 

 week after work was done on the north side of the field, these had crossed 

 the strip of prairie and entered the field from the west before being noticed. 

 As soon as they were discovered, he got all the help he could and made a 

 ditch as fast as possible. This stopped them for nearly a week, and then 

 they began to cross it. He hitched a horse to a plank and walked him up 



