, 1860-09-07
AgticpIturs.


SSNA3N8s
Anaturalist Of Baltimore, DR.. Smith, gives
the following very interesting account of the
propagation and habits Of the locust:
"The locusts appear in Mississippi and
several Of the Northwestern States every
thirteen Yeas; that is, in each locality
they emerge from the earth every thirteen
years. There are many districts Of them.
ln some they appear in one year, in others
at other years. Last year they appeared in
Mississippi, west Of the dividing ridge;
this year, east Of that ridge. The eggs de.
posted in the branches Of trees this year
will hatch in July. The young insects fall
70 the earth, make their way into IL, seek
noufishment BY tapping up the moisture
trOm the surface Of the vegetable roots and
from the earth, cause particles Of earth TO
adhere arOpnd them by viscid humor they
exude, and thus form little shells in which
they remain As they grow larger, these
cells are enlarged, but they never leave
them until The time arrives 10 emerge from
the earth. Externally these cells do not
differ In appearance from ordinary Jumps Of
earth; hence they are never discovered un.
less some ars broken by the spade that ex.
hnmes them the Plow rarely going deep
enough 10 throw them up. They undergo
no changes during the thirteen years except
TO grow in size. They descend deeper in
the earth than the bottom Of the vegetable
soil, where they may be found In the inter.
val By spading fiom fifteen to twenty-four
inches deep, and carefully breaking and ex.
aiming the Jumps Of earth thrown up. Il
mean Of course in places under trees, where
they were preyI0us season. Each insect
b Ia perfectly solitary state during the
whole Of the thirteen or seventeen years.
There is never but one In each cell, and
though they may Be within an inch Of each
other, there is never any intercourse between
them. They always emerge from the earth at
thesnma place they descend. About the first
Of March Of the year they are to emerge,
they leave their cells full grown, and begin
10 dig ; passage 70 the surface, packing
the displaced earth behind or below them,
and extracting al nutricious moisture from
IL On arriving within half an inch Of the
surfuce, they form an arched roof over the
hole. which Is now six or eight inches deep,
70 keep out surface water. In this chamber
they remain until The day and hour for final
LANN
day their parents emerged previously. They
then, at the first dawn II daylight leave the
earth SEEK the first object that offers
"a past or fencr, tree or shrub, and ascen-
ding foot or two, cling close 10 Il till the
air dries their she'll, which they then rupture
On Tie back a the shoulders Of the wings,
gradually draw themselves out Of Il, cling %
thoold she'll lill they have expanded and dried
their uings and, By the time the sun has
hirly risen and shed its rays fully upon
them, they are rcad5 for fight In q few
days De males commence their peculiar mu.
1it' md IN leu days more the females CON-
n.nCe the work Of dspOsiting their eggs IN
he branches and limbs Of trees and shrub
berry. II three or four days more the males
and females die They do not all leave the
cnrih a. The same time. II they first emerge
onlhe 18Th Of April, there will be an in
creased humber every day ell the 30ih Of
April The reason there Is such diversity
Of opinion about their periodical appearance
arises from tie acl that there are numerous
Jamiisl Of them each occupying q distinct
district = country, and each having It's own
yc1r1 for emerging. have on my records
some fort, diairicis Of country occupied by
ihem each separate and distinct from al
olhefs. and some Of them emerging at one
time. and soma at smother, 30 that every
year. except three, they appear in some Of
them. An The locnsb south Of Tennessee
and west Of the middle Of Georgia are Of
he thirteen years. and all north and east Of
that line are Of the seventeen years varis-
tea"