Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 May 1875 — An Efficient Grasshopper Trap. [ARTICLE]

An Efficient Grasshopper Trap.

Yesterday morning, says the Leavenworth Commercial, as we were strolling through South Leavenworth, our attention was drawn to a novel way for disposing of the grasshopper question and one which is apparently a success. The plan, or whatever it might be called, is worked by Mr. J. Rivard, a leading grape raiser of this locality. He observes that the grasshoppers congregated along the fences under the weeds and rubbish ac cumulated there, from which place they sally out to seek what they may devour he has accordingly dug a ditch all along the inside of his fence, about eighteen inches wide by about twelve inches deep, and placed about three feet inside of the fence. In the bottom of the ditch, at a distance of twenty feet apart, are placed boxes, whose top is on a level with the bottom of the ditch, and each box is partly filled with strong limewater. The grasshoppers, in traveling, attempt to cross the ditch, and, instead, they fall into it. Mr. Rivard says that where any succeed in crossing they always turn and jump back into the ditch when they find themselves alone. When they are once in the ditch he drives them into the boxes of lime water, and they are instantly killed. Mr. Rivard says he tried the same plan several years ago, and he succeeded to such an extent that no injury was done him by the pests, while his adjoining neighbors, who laughed at him, had everything destroyed. This plan is simple and cheap, and if successfully tried will aid in solving the much-vexed grasshopper question. i “ Wife, I don’t see, for my part, how they send letters on them ’ere wires without tearin’ ’em all to bits.” “JJa, me I they don’t send the paper, they just send the writing in a fluid state.” —Philadelphia brags of having the most cleanly servant girls. They always hire out with the understanding that the mia. tress is to do the dirty work.