The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-04-17
The American Locust,

tame read very interesting, though some
what startling chronological paper, before the
Academy of Sciences in this city. His sub
iect was "The American Locust, or the De-
structi7e Grasshopper of Texas" and he
treated it in manner at once familiar and
mastery. The locust, that "terrible scourge
of Northern Asia and of the fairest portions of
Southwestern Afrca," made its first appear
ance in this country about, a quarter of a cen
tury ago, and now threatens to become per-
manent evil in our land. In Texas, according
to DR.. Fontaine, it first showed itself in 1889.
In 1856 and 1857, the locusts destroyed the
entire crop of region Of country extending
from the base of the third plateau to the Gulf
of Mexico, one hundred and fifty miles in
length, and about eighty in breadth, incud-
ing the entire valley of the Guadalupe, and
much of the territory watered by the Colorado
and San Antonio rivers. Throughout this
whole area Of l2, 900 square miles every green
thing cultivated by man was consumed, and
how much further northwest, in the direction
of the Rocky Mountains, the ravages extended,
is not known. Since then locusts have visited
Tennessee, and some of the finest gran-grow
ing portions of the Northwestern States, but
not in such numbers as to excite serious alarm.
The fact that such pest appears to have
effected perm, anent Judgment on our shores, is
decidedly alarming Whether it is indigenous
or otherwise, is question not yet settled by
our men of science but thousands of our cit
liens, who have had their crops destroyed by
what they call grasshoppers are ignorant of
the fact that these so-called grasshoppers are,
according to DR.. Fontaine, "genuine locusts
of the migratory kind, which ride upon the
wings of the wind and fall suddenly in count
less multitudes upon regions thousands of
miles distant from the place of their birth, and
that no part Of this continent, in which they
have made their abode and are annually null
tplying, is safe from therinvasion. y
For more than half century they have
troubled the Argentine Republic in South
America In a latitude corresponding with
Louisiana and Texas, but in the southern
hemisphere, they have made agriculture
worthless, and rendered the settlement of that
magnificent country between the Andes and
the Atlantic Ocean, by dense population
IMPOSSIBLE
The terms "locusts " and * grasshoppers'
are said TO be used anonymously in the BIZ
BILE, and correctly, because all locusts are
grasshoppers. Our variety is of the kind de-
scrlbed by Pliny in the first century of the
Christian era, but the insect which in this
country is frequently called the locust, and
which makes its appearance from time to time
after long intervals, is not even related to the
genus to which the true locust belongs.
Volney, in describing the locusts of his day
says; "Syria, also Egypt and Persia, and
almost all the south of Asia is subject to a ca
lamity not less dreadful than volcanoes and
earthquakes. The whole earth is covered
with locusts for several leagues. The noise
they make in browsing on the trees may be
heard a great distance. The Tartars them
selves are less destructive than these little an
imals. One would suppose that fire had fol-
lowed their progress. Wherever their myri-
ads spread, the verdure of the country disap-
pears. Trees and plants are stripped of foil
age, and the appearance Of winter is given tc
spring. When clouds of them take theil
flight the heavens are literally darkened by
them" This description is contrasted by DR.
Fontaine with that made by the prophet Joel
commencing 81 nation is come upon my
land, strong and without number. :
The land is as a garden before them, and be
hind them a desolate Wilderness
But we cannot follow the doctor through
all his speculations and researches on the sub
iect. His conclusions from several years OF OBJ
servation are, that the eggs of the insect ar
deposited in November and hatched in March
When the eggs are laid the prairie grass
dry, and until the law was enacted, prohibit
ing the burning of the prairies at that season
most of the eggs would be destroyed. Thi
plan, formerly pursued by the Indians to sc
fresh grass for the buffalo and their herds c
f,l ~, he Il no
tors opinion, have to be resorted to again
When the locusts are young they find an IN
veterate enemy in the mason-Hy, or dlrt-daub
er, which paralvzes them with its sting, an
then deposits its Larvae in the still living bodle
of its victims.
The doctor is not without hopes that som
great scientific discovery--not greater, no"
ever, than several which have already adorne
our age-wl yet enable US to keep the locus
plague in check, and protect our fields 1rol
their invasion.
CorroS.-The New York Tribune say
land it's remarks are of interest to ever
planter):
:, lin, which the spinners and "eavers mu
3'ara !, ~, der 10 make their other stocks aval
ohIe India .tton is only worked to adyal
tage by mixing it with American and n the d.
inc experence Of FIVE years was "nony un'
blee to overcome the din lilies experience
by English spinners in worklS ihu III tba ' sop
by itself This is well illustrated o. sne '' W.
told of Manchester clergyman, w. ";
praying, during our war, for an increase -
the supply of cotton. In the warmth and u
gency Of his feelings, he for moment forgo
himself, and exclaimed, But O Lord no NOR
Surat ~ The English capitalists, goaded b.
the most powerful influences, did their bes
to increase and improve the Indian culture
But in spite of all their endeavors, Surat cot
ton would be Surat cotton and the manuiac
turers both in and out of the pulpit Wei
agonized by the want ofthe American article
It is under these circumstances that IN
American producer reappears IN the hele
His article is eagerly sought for over all 9th
ers, and at much higher prices than Others
He enters the market, not IN pursuit OF buy
crs, for the buyers arein pursuit OF HIM: An
SO long as he has bale to sell, they Will ou
of him instead of his rivals. And the hr
l.. al &c