CAMELS IN RUSSIA

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 14

CAMELS IN RUSSIA

AND HORDES OF LOCUST PESTS.

Peasants in the Samara- district of Russia, are importing camels to take the place of horses in the regular farm work, according to a recent report received at the' headquarters of the American Relief Administration from the district supervisor in Samara, states the "New York Times."

(< "The. camels," says the supervisor, "are desired by the peasants becausethey will eat: anything and thrive on it. Od the other hand they can, with dim--culty be persuaded into a freight car, and are hard to transport here. The Samara peasant uses his coW also for draft .-.purposes,' but" by .incorrect handling, ruins her for milking and breeding purposes." . ■ In discussing- the harvesting prospects foi; the" summer, he say: "A factorof even more immediate importance than the draft problem, in connection with j the. harvest, is the locusts, and we are attempting to obtain information as to what is being done to- combat them. There are two varieties of these, the : local and the Siberian, the Siberian be- j ing the smaller. The local species breeds on fallow jgrassj land, but in peace times was-usually turned-in .with the plough,.! as very little land was allowed to lie idle. . •

"At the present time the 1 vast surfaces o£ uncultivated grass-grown landi allow tho locusts an excellent breeding place. _ They do not touch rye, which, is sown in the fall, and is nearly mature whfen they incubate, but they attack the tender green shoots of the wheat. A return to a larger cultivated area will gradually eliminate this pest, which is wingless and less active ■.than the: American grasshopper.' -. ■ '■•,;.' . V "The -Siberian locust; on the other hand, can fly a thousand versts (660 miles), is larger, and consequently a much more serious problem,'' Just -what, tho possibilities of this pest for the coming months are, is not yet knoWn Over 80,000 dessiatines (about 216,160 acres) in Samara alone, are menaced by the local species of locust."