December, '15] 



WEBSTER: GRASSHOPPER CONTROL 



533 



more easily constructed, and, as has been indicated, when not needed 

 for use it can be folded up and put away until occasion requires its 

 further use. 



Entomologists will, the writer is confident, be interested in having 

 a histor}^ of the origin of the '^Criddle Mixture" by Mr.' Criddle him- 

 self, and therefore no apologies are offered for including in this paper 

 some notes on the Criddle mixture kindly sent to the writer by the 

 originator of this, one of the least expensive and most useful and 

 effective of our insecticide mixtures. 



The origin of the grasshopper bait, christened by the late Doctor Fletcher, ''Criddle 

 ^Mixture, " was due to an observation on the part of Mr. Norman Criddle that grass- 

 hoppers were in the habit of abandoning all vegetation in favor of freshly-di'opped 

 horse dung, this preference being so marked as to leave no doubt in the minds of even 

 the most casual observers. Droppings left several hundred feet in the midst of 

 growing grain at once attracted grasshoppers from the edges of fields so that they 

 might be seen marching steadily towards the direction from which the odor came, 

 and then, having speedily devom^ed the "droppings," they attacked the surrounding 

 crop with the result that a large bare patch would be made in the midst of it. A few 

 examples such as this seem in themselves sufficient evidence of the substances' 

 attractiveness, but if more were needed the roads and manure piles amply verified 

 what had been observed before. 



"The second ingi-edient, salt, was also added thi'ough observation. It is well- 

 known that clothing and the handles of any farm implement will attract grasshoppers 

 on account of the salty taste, caused through contact with the human skin, while 

 experiments supplementary to this observation showed that they readily ate any 

 article steeped in salt water. For this reason salt was added and proved particularly 

 valuable after the droppings became dry. 



"The third ingredient was largely a matter of cost and convenience. Paris green, 

 arsenic or arsenite of soda would doubtless prove equally successful as a killing agent, 

 and Paris gi-een was selected on account of its availabihty in sufiident quantity. 

 After numerous experiments the following formula was adopted as most suitable: 



Horse droppings, preferably fresh, by measure one hundred parts; 



Paris green, one pound or part ; 



Salt, one pound or part. " 



"This approximates 15 gallons by measure of horse manure to one pound of Paris 

 green and salt. It may be mixed in two ways, namely, dry with sufiicient water 

 added to make a thoroughly moist, but not sloppy, mash; or by placing the Paris 

 green and salt in water fii'st and pouring this over the 'droppings.' Before appli- 

 cation it is necessary to pay some attention to weather conditions, cloudy days, or 

 those in which the temperature is below 60° F., should be avoided and preference 

 given to those in which sunshine and heat predominate. In applying it the best 

 method seems to be to scatter it thinly among the gi^asshoppers every few days. It 

 can, however, be put out in small heaps, in which condition its attractiveness lasts 

 longer but it is more dangerous to stock. 



"There is no doubt whatever as to the remarkable attractiveness of this mixture 

 at all periods, from the time of the locusts' appearance in May until they die in 

 September, or of its superiority over any other form of extermination yet tried in 

 these parts. The evidence of farmers is ahnost unanimous on this point, and all the 

 best type speak with enthusiasm of its value, the few exceptions being due to faulty 

 methods in its apphcation and mixture. My brothers and I have also used it con- 



