Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-09-07
From Tho New York Evening Post.
~ NJ n M


The Wormons and The Plague Of
GrdSshopperS.
Some of the newspapers are dis
cussing the chances that the Nor
mons, 10 their colony FAT remote from
the markets of the East and the
West alike, may be reduced to n
famine by the swarms Of grasslop-
pers which have invaded the narrow
region Of fertility enclosed by the de-
serls occupying the basin of the
Salt Lake. This visitation seems
10 have tnker the community of
Deseret by surprise; they seem to
have forgotten that all dry regions,
in which the soil depends for its
moisture in great degree upon IT.
rigaiion, arc subject to devasialions
of armies Of insects. In the East it
is the locust, not the insect known
here by that name, which, after it
leaves the earth in IFS winged state,
eats nothing, but an insect of very
different class, with remarkably om-
nivorous propensltles, that strips the
: trees of their foliage. devours in
) discriminatory every green thing, and
leaves the earth bare of vegetation.
On our continent the principal in
sect-destroyer of vegetation, parti-
cularly of the gramlneous plants. is
the grasshopper. In dry seasons tho
ravagcs of the grasshoppcrs havo
frequently proved serious calamity
TO particular districts of this country,
not generally, however, of great ex-
tent. They devour the grasses and
grains; but, unlike the locusts of
the Fact, they leave the plants; of tho
locust of Asia eats every thing-n bit
of woollen cloth with apparently az
much gus,o as leaf of cabhage.-
Rain is an efiicacious protection a.
eainst the grasShopper. In a rainy
season they are bred, if at all,
only 10 very inconsiderable num-
bers. and when they are numerous a
plentiful rain browns them by my
riads, or few wet days exterminate
them completely. In such csun-
Try as that of The Mormons, how
ever, where rain rarely falls, no hope
can be entertained Of any relief from
this cause, and the devaslalions of
an army OF grasshoppers once begun
must so Oh I'LL the Term of lie ailot-
ted TO the insect is completed.
We suppose that all the countries
which have been lately annexed to
the United Slales-New Mexico and
California, as well as Utah, and we
nigh, include with them the western
par; Of Kansas and Nebraska-will,
as they become covered with harvests
of the cereal grains, be occasionally
subject TO this cause of dearlh. Ii
may thus hereafter happen that over
an immense tract, from San Diego
TO where the fields begin TO be moist
cned by the mists OF Oregon, and
from the Pacific TO the Rocky Noun
tains, inhabited by millions of peo-
pie, the fruits Of the earth may be
devoured by this pest, the expected
supply of corn be suddenly cut off,
and the country compelled TO depend
on the Atlantic States for bread.
The fruits of countries in which
there is almost perpetual sunshine,
and where agriculture is carried on by
irrigation, are matured to tho highest
degree of flavor and sweetness, and
the earth yields her increase earlier,
and, under favorable circumstances,
more abundanily. In the constant
sunshine Of Egypt they take three
crops annually from the soil. The
wonder of the Inhabitants OF our
Atlantic shore has been awakened
by the enormously heavy ears OF
wheat sent hiiher from CALIFORNIA;,
the size of which Is maniiesrly the
effec, of climate, for the soil here
NAV be and often is enrsshed Co any
degree that is desirable.' Against
these advantages the danger Of a
perfect faiinreao of crops, occasionally
occurring from the ravages OF insects,
must be set OIL.