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JOURNAL OF ECO^X^MIC ENT ONTOLOGY 



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tinuously for the last ten years with perfect success and at very small cost, the last 

 occasion being this season when we undoubtedly saved many acres of crop, while on 

 more than one occasion its use undoubtedly saved the whole crop as was shown by 

 the destruction of those not treated. 



'•'This, however, refers only to Manitoba, as my experiences have been but casual 

 outside, but I am of opinion that climatic conditions, particularh' humiditj", play an 

 important part in the success or failm^e of this mixture. From a few observations 

 made in Quebec some years ago, I found horse dung far less attractive there, and the 

 roadways, which in ]\Ianitoba would be swarming with locusts, were comparatively 

 free. Judging from this, I would expect to find it valueless in the moister parts of 

 Canada and the United States, and most useful in the diyer Northern States, par- 

 ticularly the Dakotas, JViinnesota and Montana, as well as Alberta, Saskatchewan 

 and ]\Ianitoba. 



"Why a mixture so attractive in Manitoba should prove useless in Quebec in a 

 time of drought with the same species of gi^asshopper involved, is difficult to answer. 

 That it is so there seems no doubt, and the problem is therefore to ascertain, with 

 accurac}^, what the conditions are and where the conditions are favorable or otherwise. 

 I should consider a trustworthy indication would be to watch the freshlj'-dropped 

 dung and roadwa3^ WTien this is eaten freely, the mixtui'e should prove a success, 

 when grasshoppers are not so attracted, it yriU. prove a failure. 



"It may not be out of place to remark in conclusion that stable water from behind 

 the stalls is even more attractive than dung and has proved a remarkable attractant 

 when mixed with other material such as bran or sawdust, while grasshoppers have 

 been observed to actually devom- the earth in places where it has been left. Dry 

 cow dung is also readily devoured.'' 



While it will be observed from the foregoing that it has been entirely 

 practicable to destroy from 75 per cent to 95 per cent of the grasshop- 

 pers present in given areas, thus showing that these methods perhaps 

 offer the greatest protection to a majority of farmers and ranchmen, 

 there are cases where, owing to a variation in existing conditions, other 

 precautions must be taken. These insects deposit their eggs in waste 

 lands, in many cases lands that owing to their nature it is impossible 

 to bring under cultivation. Myriads of 3"0ung are produced and de- 

 velop in such breeding grounds and continue to migrate therefrom for 

 a considerable period of time, so that the destruction of even 90 per 

 cent of the grasshoppers present at any one particular time frequently 

 does not offer entire protection to the farmer. Therefore other 

 measures for destrojdng these pests must not be overlooked. 



During the past season several owners of large areas in New ^Mexico 

 tried discing, harrowing and other methods of shallow culture during 

 fall or winter to destroy the eggs. Spring culture of this character 

 will not destroy the eggs. While of course winter culture cannot be 

 carried out in the northernmost part of the country, it is entireh^ 

 feasible in many sections of the South, where grasshoppers prove a 

 grievous pest. And in the northern part of the countrj^ man^^ areas 

 of waste land can be disced or harrowed or otherwise stirred in the fall 

 to a depth of two or three inches. 



