34 



at least it is certain that fields lying within three miles of the 

 hatching grounds of hist spring, remained untouched until the 

 flying season. 



WHAT MAY BE DONE BY ENERGY AND PERSEVERENCE. 



Although it is impossible for me to add at present anything to 

 the many and various methods of locust-warfare that have been 

 repeated so often, it may be of some value to show what has been 

 or may be done with those already known. It was not as a mere 

 form of speech that the conference at Omaha concluded with these 

 words: 



"That our consultation with each other and with those who 

 have tested the matter, has resulted in the firm conviction that 

 by proper efforts, concerted action, and a vigorous and determined 

 warfare against them, the young grasshoppers which may be 

 hatched out next year,- or any subsequent year, can be successfully 

 fought and our crops saved; that we are not without remedy, but 

 Ave may protect our crops against them if we will but make use of 

 the means within our reach." 



The conditions of success here noted, " proper efforts, concerted 

 action, and vigorous and determined warfare," have never yet 

 been applied in Minnesota. The truth of the above quotation, is 

 shown by the fact that where even individuals, contending alone 

 not only against the locusts hatched about them, but against those 

 which the concerted action of their neighbors should have ren- 

 dered harmless, have defended their crops with perseverance and 

 determination through a whole season, they have in the end re- 

 ceived a return which justified both their usual and their extra 

 Labor, tiven the most petty means of defence, if kept up per- 

 sistently through a whole spring, will often effect a saving of a 

 considerable portion of the crop. The town of Lime, in Blue 

 Earth county, one-half of a government town, in 1875 turned out 

 its whole population to battle with the young locusts with brooms, 

 switches, and every weapon they could lay hands on, and returned 

 an average crop of 12 2-3 bushels of wheat, 36 bushels of oats, 

 and 36 bushels of corn to the acre. The town reported no dam- 

 age from locusts, and the return was about the average crop for 

 the whole county, and a fair yield. 



Charles Pelzel, of Milford, Brown county, by spreading tar over 

 strips of building paper, and placing these along the sides of his 

 fields, saved most of his crop, while those of his neighbors were 

 bably damaged. The paper was re-spread with tar as often as it 



