Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1843-05-18
aIncIrsr YEAR,

"LOIUSl YEAR.
The Hartford Courant contains the fl
lowing communication in relation to Lo
Gusts:
We frequently see il announced in tn
newspapers, that this year has been "Lo
Gust Year." followed by the story of thei
returning only once in seventeen years
and asihese annunciations appear 10 dIiier
ent parts of the country oiteDer than enc,
IN seventeen years, il has been sta,t tina
there are different TITLES Of Locusts, anc
although the appearance OF Lacus,s IN dii,
lerent places, may be oiiener, yet eact
tribe app ats but once in seventeen y ars,
What people Ia general tn nix OF these
stories | do not know; but should think
they would be read with doubt and indii-
ference, at least.
wei remember three "locust years u
in the years 1893, 1909 and 1926, and
my father told me that he remembered
one in the year 1853, and an other one
in l775. There being seventeen years
between each Of these dates, is a strong
evidence that they return once in seven.
teen years, and accordingly the present
year ls43, may Be expected TO be locust
year. wish you 10 publish this a, this
time, that the enotmologists may have an
opportunity 10 make obse rvatlons. III a
prophet Irophtsy, and that which he pro-
pheseth comelh to pass, then shall We
know that he is true prophet"
The Richmond Wing has an article on
/ Tine cthInct n nC tth irh rnh
join:
The SEVENTEENTH YEAR LocUST =
This is the year and this the month, for
the appearance of the IL year Locust
In few days The woods will be threnged,
and he who hears their accumulated hum
for the first time will be astonisbel. I'M
less prepared for it, he will not know how
10 account for it. Formerly, they up
peared in such countless mulirudes as TO
tatten the swine Of the country, TO whom
they are chosen food, as they are also to
foxes, raccoons, squirrels, crows, and eve.
ry forest bird. AT their two last appear.
ances, in 1876, and in 1909, their num-
bers had much diminished, compared with
former neriods, owing doubtless to the
clearing up and cultivation OF the face OF
the country.
This remarkable insect is fully describ-
ed by naturalists. 1t closely resembles
our autumnal fly Of the spme name. Its
wings have the appearance Of w, and
hence appearing in the midsts Of the
Revolution, The superstitious Interpreted
those venous resemblances ef w TO i'm
ply "War and Want" The Gentleman
Magazine for 1881, contains an exact cut
of the insect, and an accurate description
If its habits. 1t bores through the earth
in the chrysalis state, and, climbing upon
the next tree or fence, there depost,s lis
! shell and takes wing.
The singular part of ITS history, is its
apr earance only once in II years--no
fact is better established than this. VIM
! it should be-whether the eggs require
that period Of incubation, or whatever The
cause, the fact itself is certain. The
writer Of this remembers them in 1926,
in and ls09-tlis father and grandfather
remembered them in 1892 and in 1875
His grandfather in l758--They appeared
al no other time in the intervals of these
periods, except a few stragelers in the
succeeding year, left by chance or inju
nv.
This theory has beer doubted. This
year will test its truth, and as assuredly
| verify it, ms that the sun will set IN nj rht