Grass- A grasshopper pest raged last year in northern Michigan and the 
HOPPER Farmers' State Grange and the County agents have done much to 
Pest combat it. Carloads of arsenate of lead have been shipped to various 
farming centers and distributed through the County Agents. The 
following formula has been used successfully: 
I lb. of Arsenate of Lead, 
I bushel of Sawdust, 
I lb. of Salt, 
^ cup Molasses. 
I gallon of water. 
The arsenate and sawdust are mixed together. The salt and molasses 
are dissolved in the water and then added to the sawdust and if it 
will hold more water, it should be added as the grasshoppers take the 
poison better wet than dry. For this reason it should be spread early 
in the morning or in the evening. After a rain it should be spread 
immediately again. 
For a farm or large vegetable garden, it is best mixed in a wagon 
box and sown by hand, as you would grain, as the wagon is driven 
slowly over the fields or around a garden and down the paths and rows. 
The formula calls for three bushels to the acre, but more could be 
used advantageously. The grasshoppers not only eat the poison but 
each other, so the effect is far reaching. Great care must be exercised 
in mixing this formula as several men were severely poisoned last 
summer by inhaling the dry arsenate as they worked with it. A 
mask heavily padded should be worn over the nose and mouth, and 
rubber gloves used when scattering the sawdust. 
R. L. W. 
News and 
Views 
A Sugges- 
tion TO 
Massachusetts National Civic Federation, 9 Arlington Street, 
Boston, Massachusetts, announces Garden Days, Saturdays, Two to 
Six P.M. from May 15th to June 26th, 192 1, when certain Gardens 
will be open to the public, Admission 50c. Proceeds to go the 
Civic Clubs National Civic Federation. 
TweKth Night gone and Christmas greens and wreaths with it 
until another December, we find a something stirring in our thoughts 
Shrub which makes us instinctively desire evidence that Spring is on the 
Cuttings way. Just the assurance is enough, without visible signs, but even 
so, in the midst of real winter scenes we cannot help noticing the 
increasing warmth of the sunHght, the chance note of a bluebird and 
the illusive fragrance of the meadows where the snow has thawed. 
Then one day, happening to bend down the twigs of bushes obstruct- 
ing the progress of our winter walk, we find that they do not snap 
and break but are willowy and full of sap, and lo! the wish is father 
to the thought, and we whip out pocket knives and with clean slanting 
42 
