Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1867-12-29
The MIgraiory orasshoppers o.
Tetas. Habits and movements,
..Apprehended DefaslailOn.-
IIOw In Mitigate II

and 81, their appearance was OK
pected this year and IL was thought
that q benefit might be conferred
upon the people Of Western Texas
by warning them against tho m
pending calamity, aud by urging
ihom to adopt tho only practicable
remedy 10 mitigate its severity
With this object in view, paper
was read before the Academy OF
Sciences, of New Orleans, on the
subject, the 26th of last February,
portions of which were copied by
The Picayuno, and other city papers
which are extensively circulated III
Texas. l write this communication
to the Picayune with the same OBJ
iect, hoping that it will call the at
fention Of the planters of the Colo
RADIO, Guadalupe and San Antonio,
and especially their repre- cntativos
in the Legislature, to the import
ance OF taking Immediately the nee
cssary stops to arrest the scourge.-
Your paper is extensively circnlat.
cd where ono of its lamented editors
and founders was 80 well known,
and so deservedly popular.
The loss of George wilkins Ken
dali, and his talented partner, Forbes
Britton, cannot be supplied in Tex
rs. They were true patriots and en-.
iightencd statesmen, who worked
efficiently for the permanent wei
fare of their adopted State. Their
brilliant talents would have adorned
any land or age. Incorruptible, en-
ergetic and fearless, they consccrat-
cd their lives to the welfare of Tex
as; and the people appreciated their
worth, and mourn their loss. Ifthey
were living, I would address this
communication to them, confiCe t
that the people they served,
through their instrumental ity
would receive the full benefit Of any
valuable suggestions it may contain.
Hcmphill, Green, McLe o d an &
Mccullough are also gone. Burle-
son, Hamilton and Lamar, the most
brilliant of the host of the founders
of the Lone Star Republic, are with
her departed heroes. But if l could
pour forth my lamentation over
thcm in the ear of Texas pcrsonifed
she might with truth rebukc me
with the reply Of the mother Of Bra
sidas to the friend who mournod his
death rs loss which was irrcpara-
bic: sparta has many sons as
worthy as he.' ~ she has, ! hope
they will exhibit their enlightened
public spirit, and wear worthily the
mantle which has fallen from them.
In 1857, the Chaplain of the SEN
ate Of Texas was invited by Col.
Britton, and other leading members
of that body, to deiivcra lecture up
on the locust, or migratory grass
hopper, which had scourged Wcs-
tern Texas that year; and in com
pliancc with their wishes, he pc
commended what | think is the on
" remedy for the evil.
1t is to burn the grass thoroughly,
as far as practicable, in March and
November. That this might done
safely, he advised the Legislature
TO amend the laws in regard to the
burning Of the prairies and 10 or
der or permit them to be fired under
the direction of proper, authority
His reasons for this advice were
based upon observations upon the
habits of the insect. In the last OF
October and early in November they
descend from the northwest with
the strong winds from the Rocky
Mountain chain. and fall upon every
part OF Texas between two parallel
lines, including the cities of Austin
and San Antonio, about eighty miles
apart, and extending from near tic
Gulf coast to those mountains, or ms
far towards them MS any informa-
ton from surveyors and the friend
Jy Indians could be obtained. The
area ravagcd by them in the settled
portion Of Western Texas extended
n few miles southwest Of San Anton
10, and northwest of Austin and
was bounded on both these sides by
tho northwest and southeast wind
Zines of the Texan southeast mon
soon and "tho norther." This last
wind is not from the north in Wcs-
tern Texas, but from the northwest;
and it seems to come down from the
snowy chain of the Rocky Noun
tains north of Santa Fe, and trend
ing to the northwest into Russian
America. On the goth of Novcm-
Der, 1857, they fell in Austin in the
greatest numbers during n cold
northcr. They wcrc frozen stiffly ;
but as soon as the southeast wind
blew, and the sun thawed them, they
commenced eating every green thing
.susa after dcpositing their eggs, van
ished with the next norther, which
bore them towards the southeast.
Early the next March their eggs
Matched, and in the form of wing
less grasshoppers they destroyed the
gardens, and commenced Oh r
march towards the northwest. In
April they shed their shells and
spread their wings, and were all
carried away upon the southeast
monsoon, day after day until about
the LIST of May but not before they
had totallydestroyed all the produce
of the gardens and the fields. As
wingless or winged locusts, in the
spring they moved steadily north.
westwardly with the monsoon; and
in the Gall they reversed their course
and few to the southeast with the
norther. A cross wind, tornado,
or typhoon, is liable to scatter such
n countless army over the half OF
this continent. In March they GOV
or the prairics, and where there is
dry grass they can be burned be-
5Ore they can fly. In October and