The locust plague and its suppression / by Æneas Munro.

  • Munro, Aeneas.
Date:
[1899]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The locust plague and its suppression / by Æneas Munro. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    364/388 (page 340)
    34° bunch, and a light set to it. Great execution can be effected in this, way in the course of a few hours at night, or in the early morning. If dry old hay or straw be lying about, place it here and there ; the young will gather there for cover at night, and when so gathered, set fire to the straw or hay, and all will be destroyed. Torches made of tow or any sort of rags dipped in kerosene, petroleum, or paraffin, and lit, will answer the purpose for burning them very well. Other methods will be found in pars. 339“34i- 859. When the hoppers are spread out on the camp, and if the season be far advanced and the grass dry and burnable, fire may be set to it, and in this way most of the insects will perish. But this must not be tried if early in the season, as nests, birds, and other useful insects at such a time might be injured at the same time as the locusts.. In dealing with fire in the camp great care is required lest any forest should be set on fire, as thereby much damage might accrue. Pans, heated by fires inside them may be drawn, over the hoppers by means of horses, and much injury done. Of course so much depends on the resources of the locality and the ingenuity of the people who live therein. Naturally following the plan of burning the insects comes that of Scalding by Means of Steam 860. A well-known and expert man in most matters thus writes on/ the plan :— Anent the destruction of the locusts . . . my plan is to have an engine on wheels, made on a peculiar principle and simple, for the generation of steam in a large tank at a high pressure. From this tank would run a leather pipe with a brass nozzle, to be worked like the tube of a fire-engine. I would make the engine high, so as to be easily drawn by a pair of horses or a yoke of oxen, so as to reserve all the steam generated for the one purpose of exterminating the locusts. It would not be difficult for a mechanical engineer to draw out the plans- for such an engine ; I can only furnish the idea. The engine, with the steam at high pressure, would be drawn slowly across the line of march of a manga of saltonas, and a man walking alongside would play the steam into their ranks with instantaneous and deadly effect. The destruction would be thorough and complete; the insects would not have time to say their prayers. It would be the duty of the colonists- to keep the engine continually supplied with fuel and water, but the engine itself should be supplied by Government. I calculate that one such engine would amply suffice for a colony bf eight square leagues. I do not know what such an engine would cost, but that is a secondary question; if it turns out effective, as I think it would, it does not matter if it cost two, four, or ten thousand dollars. I suppose it would cost about three thousand, for the machine would have to be well made, capable of rapidly generating steam and retaining it at the