53 
seem to indicate that at least one person had obtained good results in 
this direction : 
A WAY TO FIGHT GRASSIIOPPERS. 
Editor Telegraph: While on business at Capt. Russell's ranch, about 5 miles 
northeast of this place, in Placer County, I found his fine orchard and vineyard all 
safe from the ravages of the grasshopper pests, although they have played sad havoc 
with other orchards near by. Upon inquiry of the Captain I was informed that he 
had used a remedy that did not suit the tastes of the hoppers, and therefore they 
chose other localities in which to locate. He used the following preparation : One 
pound of aloes to 5 gallons of water. Dissolve well in warm water and then spray 
with a fine spray pump. A simple taste of this liquid seems to discourage the opera- 
tor and he moves to other quarters. Capt. Russell thinks that his discovery is good 
when well applied. I give this information for what it is worth, and hope some 
good may be derived from it. The condition of Capt. Russell's orchard justifies the 
confidence he expresses in the remedy mentioned. 
G. S. Tong. 
Folsom, Cal., July 28, 1891. 
The fact that the locusts feed upon such a great variety of trees and 
plants, including such offensive ones as tarweeds and Conifers, which 
most other leaf- eating insects pass by, would seem to indicate that it 
would be extremely difficult to find a substance so disagreeable and 
offensive to the locusts that they would not feed upon the leaves of 
plants sprinkled with it. It is possible that blood obtained from the 
slaughterhouses might answer this purpose, since it has been found 
that rabbits will not feed upon the bark of trees on which blood had 
been rubbed. 
Quite a number of persons employed turkeys for the purpose of free- 
ing their orchards and vineyards of the locusts, and I learn from one 
of the members of a certain firm in San Joaquin County that they em- 
ployed a flock of 766 turkeys in their orchard, which contains about 
800 acres of fruit trees of various kinds. One turkey will destroy an 
almost incredible number of locusts in a single day, and a flock of the 
size of the one above described must necessarily destroy large numbers 
of the pests in the course of an entire season. I was informed of sev- 
eral instances where turkeys had eaten too freely of the locusts, having 
partaken of them to such an extent as to result in the death of the tur- 
keys, but it was asserted that this never happened if the turkeys had 
been fed grain before being turned into the orchard in the morning. 
Several persons objected to having the turkeys in their orchards owing 
to a fondness which these birds develop for ripe fruit, as it was found 
that when the turkeys once took to feeding upon the fruit they forgot 
all about the locusts and proved quite as great a pest as did the in- 
sects which they were expected to annihilate, rather than to aid, in 
their destructive work. Owing to this undesirable habit of the turkey 
it woidd be advisable to allow them the freedom only of nonhealing 
orchards and vineyards, or at least, of those not containing ripe or 
nearly ripe fruit. 
