Millions of Insects Poisoned
OUYEN Thursday. - When he arrived at Ouyen at 5 a.m. to-day the Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Allan) accompanied by the director of agriculture (Mr. H. A. Mullett) and the superintendent of Agriculture (Mr. J. Brake) motored to Boorongia and inspected the country infected with grasshoppers. They were impressed by the success of the poisoning campaign which is being conducted.
Warning farmers of the urgent need for immediate action to combat the pest, Mr. Allan said that he saw a paddock of 200 acres on which a strip from two or three chains in width had been eaten bare. Fortunately poisoning had checked the advance of the horde and crops would probably be saved. Millions of grasshoppers had been killed by the poison. It was possible to scoop the dead insects by handfuls. Once the grasshopper began to fly, however, there was very little hope. It was necessary to deal with the menace quickly to do any good.
Addressing farmers at Walpeup this afternoon Mr. Bussau M.L.A. said that the position was very grave and every farmer should help in preventing the pest from spreading. If they made a great effort to stamp out the menace now when they had every chance of success they would not only save this years crops, but would prevent a recurrence of the plague next season. At Ouyen tonight a public meeting of farmers made plans to intensify the campaign of destruction.
Damage at Kooloonong
SWAN HILL Thursday. -Grasshoppers reached Kooloonong and destroyed about 1,200 acres of crop belonging to Messrs. L. Sutton and A. Porteous. The grasshoppers are making for the south-west.
FIGHTING GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE. (1934, November 9). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954), p. 3. Retrieved November 17, 2010, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10992479
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