Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-08-30
From the n. Y. Evening Post.l
The Mormons and the Plague of Grass
hOppers


Some of the newspapers are discussing the
chance that the MOrmOns, in their colony far
remote from the markets of the East and
West alike, may be reduced to famine by
the swarms of grasshOpperS which have inva-
ded the narrow region Of fertility enclosed by
the deserts occupying the basin of the Salt
Lake. This visitation seems to have taken
the community of Deseret by surprise they
seem to have forgotten that all dry regions,
in which the soil depends for its moisture in
a great degree upon irrigation, are subject to
the devastations of armies of insects. In the
East il is the locust-nOt the insect known
here by that name, which, after 1t leaves the
earth in its winged state, eats nothing-but
an insect of very different class, with re-
markably omniverous propensites, that strips
the trees of their foliage, devours indscrimi-
nately every green thing, and leaves the earth
bare of vegetation. On our continent the
principal insect destroyer of vegetation, par
ttcularly of the gramineaus plants, is the
grasshopper. In dry seasons the ravages of
the grasshoppers have frequently proved a
serious calamity tn particular districts of this
country, not generally, however, of great ex-
tent. They devour the grasses and grains,
but unlike the locusts of the East, they leave
the plants of an acid and pungent flavor I'M
touched, while the locust of Asia eats every
thing-a bit of wooden cloth with apparently
as much gusto rs leaf of cabbage. Rain Is
an ellicacious protection against the grasshOp-
per; in a rainy season they are bred, if at all
only in very inconsiderable numbers anC
when they are numerous, a plentiful rain
browns them by myriads or a few wet day:
exterminates them completely.
In such a country as that of the Mormons
however, where rain rarely falls, no hope car
be entertained of any relief from this cause
and the devastations of an army of grasshop
pers, once begun, must go on till the term o
life allotted to the insect is completed. w
4 suppose that all the countries which hav
been lately annexed to the L. S. New Mexic
, and California, as well rs Utah, and W
) might include with them the western part c
Kansas and Nebraska, will, as they becom
covered with harvests Of the cereal grains, b
4 occasionally subject to this cause of dearth.-
1t may thus hereafter happen that over a
: immense tract, from San Diego to where tn
Y fields begin to be moistened by the mists
Oregon, and from the Pacific to the Rock
! Mountains inhabited by millions of peopl
o the fruits of the earth may be devoured
d this pest, the expected supply of corn be sue
/ denly cut off, and the country compelled
e depend on the Atlantic State for bread.
IS The fruits of countries in which there Is a
= most perpetual sunshine, and where agrcu
ture is carried on by irrigation, are mature
e to the highest degree of flavor and sweetne'
Y and the earth Yields her increase earlier, al
r under favorable circumstances more abu
dainty. In the constant sunshine of Egg
10 they take three crops annually from {
re soil.
re The wonder Of the inhabitants of our A
l. lantic shore has been awakened by the enc
lr mously heavy ears of wheat sent hither fro
he California, the size of which is manifestly t
x effect of climate, for the soil here may be a
ne often is enriched to any degree that is DIES
IN able. Against these advantages the dams
IN of perfect failure of crops, occasionally {
of curing from the ravages OF insects, must
of set OFF.
he We suppose the MOrmons will hard
ur think of making that use of their grasShopp
ed which the people of the East sometimes
ne of their locusts. The Orientals say to tn
on insect enemies, if you eat our corn we "
ur eat you in return, and accordingly grind the
into a sort of flour and make them into bre
w instead of the wheat they have devoured
ret Locuss are even, it is said, while in this sta
tv. made an article of commerce. The saints
ne the Great Salt Lake City might take the {
ad ample of St John in the wilderness, who 81
-tv sisted on locusts and wild honey, and max
he trial of the grasshopper. Perhaps the expo
to ment of their flavor has never yet oeen ma
es. but it is not very difficult to imagine {
od with the proper condiments they might pro
no rs paIatable as some articles of animal fc
st, which appear OH the tables of civilized natio
Is, the little crawfish, for example, which
les scarce anything but an insect.