THE LOCUST PLAGUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 83, 9 April 1934, Page 7

THE LOCUST PLAGUE

NEW METHOD OF ATTACK. POISON DUST BY AEROPLANE, [ British Official V> ire lees. ] RUGBY, April 6. A large-scale attack by clouds of poisonous dust distributed from an aeroplane is to be made upon the locust swarms which cause annually £1,500,000 damage in tropical and subtropical Africa. This new method was evolved by Mr. 11. H. King, who two years ago when Government entomologist to AngloEgyptian Sudan, discovered by laboratory tests that adult locusts fell speedy victims to a spray of finely ground sodium arsenite. He conceived the idea that swarms might be successfully countered by discharging a cloud of this poisonous dust from an aeroplane flying across the line of their flight. His suggestion was taken up by the locust control committee of the Economic Advisory Council, and funds ware provided by tho Colonial Development Fund. Technical advice and assistance on the many problems involved were obtained from Royal Air Crafts establishment, the Farnborough Imperial Institute of Entomology, and the Chemical Defence Research Department of the War Office, and all now required is a practical full-scale trial. This is to bo undertaken by Mr. King himself. To-morrow he sails for Northern Rhodesia, where an aeroplane chartered from Imperial Airways and. fitted with special apparatus and a consignment of finely-powdered sodium arsenito await his arrival. Locusts are abundant in this territory, and it is hoped that Mr. King during his flights next month will be able to collect sufficient data for the locust control committee to judge of the efficacy and practicability of the scheme. If successful, details of the method will be made more available in all territories where locusts are q menace to agriculture. During the last five years a commit tec of the Economic Advisory Counc»« financed partly by the Empire Market ing Board, the British colonies, and the dependencies affected. and Anglo Egyptian Sudan, has been making u survey of the breeding grounds and migratory habits of locusts. Swarms of locusts range over enormous areas. Hitherto attacks have been concentrated on locusts in their larval, or hopper, stage, but these are ineffeetivc where locusts inhabit thick busli country. Thus great importance attaches to this wholly new method of combating the plague.

IN WEST AUSTRALIA ROAD TRAFFIC IMPEDED. Received April 8, 6.30 p.m. ADELAIDE, April 8 Swarms of locusts are attacking all vegetation in the neighbourhood of Port Augusta, and are so thick on the roads that traffic is impede d.