The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-05-07
American a. Periodical Locust.

ularly Dut errOncOuSiy tcriucu, IL an AMIR
icaa insect of most singular habits and de-
structivc character. Its appearance was in
HIS, and since that date punctually n,
the same month every seventeenth year,
now certainly for nearly one hundred and
fifty years, has this extraordinary insect
been known to make its visit. No causes
have effected il during that period, not
even SO as relates to the month in which
il appears" Vide Or. Ruschengerget,
L. s. \.
This remarkable insect appears in differ
ent parts of the United States in separate
broods, which have each their appointed
year for assuming the winged state, and
propagating their species. An entire
brood matches in few days time, and
countless millions of these large black flies
not the true locust-suddcnly appear
over acres occupying many thousand
square miles DR.. Fitch, State EntomOlo-
uist of New York, says that three of these
Sroods exist partly within the boundaries
of that State, and there appear to be six
other broods in differ rent parts OF the Uni
ted States.
One brood inhabits the valley of the
Hudson River. Its last appeara ace was in
1913 and it will appear again in 1860. a
second brood is found in Western New
York, Westeru Pennsylvania and Eastern
Ohio. 1t appeared in 1919, and it is
very probable that the outskirts Of the
brood extends into Canada. II may be
looked for again in 1866. The third
brood, which came forth in 1856, ex-
tends from the Atlantic to the Ohio, and
into Canada; several individuals of this
brood arc said to have been taken aear
Toronto IN that year, and it is quite GER
tain that the loud note of cicada was
heard repeatedly in the woods west Of the
city in July OF that year. Or Fitch, QUO
ting letter from MI Robinson, dated at
Pallchassie, the 24th Of May, says: Il
have heard the seventeen-year locusts for
ten days past, but they are not plenty
here. At Park Hill, however, twenty
five miles south Of this, in the Cherokee
country, they are very numerous and in
these hungry times, occasioncd by the
severe drought of last year and this spring,
the people INDIANS are glad to gather
and eat them"
The great Pennsylvania brood, before
noticed, reached from tina; State TO tteor-
eia; another or fifth brood extends from
Western Penn, ylvania through the vale.
of the Ohio River, and down that of the
Mississippi to Louisiana; it appeared in
1916, aud Will, therefore, make its reap
pearance in 1868 \ sixth brood assumed
the e. state in 1854, around the head OF
Lake Michigan, and across Northern H.
inois into Iowa Other and minor broods
arc recorded to have made thei. appear
ancc in different parts Of the Union, but
DR.. Fitch thinks that some of them may
have consisted of other species, mistaken
for the true scventeen-year locust.
In Ohio it is stated on the bcs. author.
itv, that the grubs have been collected in
such vast quantities, that they have been
used in the manufacture Of soap by the
farmers III the localities where they are
abundant. TIE uunber OF them is sc
immense that the ground is described as
rililcd by their holes. DR.. Hildrctl
says they dwell for sixteen years and ter
months in grotto Of their construction
probably near the root OF some tree, ioi
they are foYest-dwellers, and derive then
nourishment from the roots Of tr- es, grass
cs and herbs. La 1916 a large humble,
o;' these locusts emerged from the eartl
in Dr.. Hjldreth's garden, in the brsnche.
If the trees OF which, the parcnt cicads
e had deposited her eggs in 1929. In 1851
this extraordinary insect was noticed as
Lning more widespread i'll many places il
Illinois than it was on its previous visit
Fruit and forcst-trecs whenever they hat
been planted on the prairies were seven
teen years ago destitute of these insects
but in 1854 thcv came from the grounl
among such trees as abuudant!y as in Tia
original timber lands An enemy thc,>
lying concealed and prcying for seventeen
years upon the choicest treasures of tn
Garden and field, must be entitled to
place among insect scourges III the frs
rank. Canals is happily yot fee from
the destructive presence u this extraordin
airy dcprcdator, but it is found liz all tn,
States of the Union surrounding her
1t appears to infect the oak, apple, pop
lar, and probably many other trees, fort h,
purpose Of depositing its eggs for vb;ci
object it puncturcs the small limhs aac
does incalculable injury, 50 weakening e
the branches it attacks, that ~ in Wis
conSin in 1854, every gust of wind suf
ec.,; to Lrcak off the twigs nj tn,
point where the locusts had deposited q.
eggs. NIr Z, W. Morris speaks of hay
ing seen the tops Of tho forcsts-trccs il
Pcnnsvlyania and Ohio, for upward o.
hundred miles appear az If scorched b,
fire month after this locus, had lcf
them.
IN some of the forests ia Scath Carolin;
ninety pinc.trccs ont of one hundred hav,
been killed by small beetle Great
numbers of noble pines three feet il
diameter aud one hundred aud fifty fee
HIGH. stand with naked arms strctch
L,,,d l;fol,es like hundreds and