21 



Locust Destructionm 



SOAP AND ARSE 



IN view of the fact that the idea prevails 

 in certain quarters that nothing is 

 being done by the Department of Agri- 

 culture in the matter of locust destruction, 

 the Entomologist draws attention to the 

 fact that not only has the excellent co- 

 operative work of the Inanda Farmers' 

 Association been subsidised during the 

 past twelve months to the extent of £150, 

 but also, that a considerable amount of 

 valuable work has been carried out by 

 Mr. Stock Inspector Robbing. 



Recently Mr. Robbins has devoted a 

 good deal of attention to the use of soap 

 solution and arsenic solution, and from 

 his reports the following notes are com- 

 piled. 



The work with soap solution was 

 commenced during the first week in 

 January, and has l>een kept on up till 

 present month (March). Writing under 

 date of January 3rd, Mr. Robbins reports 

 that : " For the past two weeks locusts 

 have been, and are still, hatching from 

 one end of the Tugela Division to the 

 other. For some time we have not had 

 flying locusts, but they have now made their 

 appearance again. I have been experi- 

 menting with blue mottled soap, using 

 l^lbs. to 2 gallons of water, spraying it 

 on to young locusts with a cattle syringe. 

 The mixture takes effect in less than one- 

 and-a-half hours. Buying soap at whole- 

 sale price, the mixtttre will not cost more 

 than 2d. per gallon." Writing under the 

 date of January l(Sth, he continues to the 

 effect, that upon the suggestion of the 

 Entomologist, he had made some check 

 experiments, and found the soap solution 

 most efficacious. On Ja}\uary 26th, he 

 again reported the excellent results of soap 

 solution. He remarks that : "While spray- 

 ing outside a mealie garden my attention 

 was directed to a swarm which had entered 

 the mealies. The swarm was so thick 

 that about one-fifth of an acre was com- 

 pletely covered. We set to work with 

 two syringes and very few locusts 

 escaped, the ground at the base of the 

 plants being literally covered with them. 

 This afforded a splendid test, as the 

 mealies were coming into flower. I have 



[C SOLUTIONS. 



tried the soap solution upon mealies threo 

 weeks old and it killed them, and I will 

 report to you whether these mealies have 

 been damaged or not." Writing eleven 

 days later, Mr. Robbins reports : " The 

 field of mealies sprayed with soap solu- 

 tion on January 23rd was inspected eight 

 days later, and I found that the application 

 had done no damage." 



On February 11th, Mr. Robbins writes 

 to the effect that he has up to the 9th inst. 

 destroyed thirty-five swarms of locusts 

 since January lAth. He finds that it takes 

 about 12 gallons to destroy a swarm 

 covering 100 square yards. 



It is advisable, he considers, to wait for 

 a swarm to collect after feeding, as is the 

 habit of the wingless locusts, and then to 

 spray them. In this way a swarm which, 

 when feeding, will cover about two acres 

 of ground, may be destroyed with 10-12 

 gallons of solution. 



At the request of the Entomologist, Mr. 

 Robbins was supplied in February with a 

 knapsack spray pump for applying arsenic- 

 soda-treacle solution. Commenting upon 

 the use of this under date of March 4th, 

 he finds that if the treacle is well boiled 

 in water before mixing it with the arsenic 

 and soda, the locusts take to it freely. 

 But if the treacle is mixed without boil- 

 ing, the locusts do not prefer it to the 

 arsenic, soda, and sugar solution. After 

 many trials he finds the following the 

 best "proportions for making up arsenic- 

 soda-treacle solution : — 



Arsenic ... • • H lbs. 

 Caustic Soda ... ■•• 8 ozs. 

 Water 4 galls. 



Boil the soda und water and then add the 

 arsenic, and boil till dissolved. 

 Then take 



Treacle U galls. 



Water ... ... - 4 „ 



Bring to boiling point, and mix with 

 arsenic and soda solution. For use add 

 eight gallons of water. He adds that " on 

 February 27th a coolie farmer reported 

 that his eight-acre field of mealies was 

 being destroyed by locusts. I went over 

 and found the mealies and ground covered 

 with large hoppers, about two weeks old. 



