The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-30
GRASSHOPPERS.

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A Sweeping Plague In KansNs-COrps
Extensively Dam@ged-Winter Wheat
Almost BntireIy DestrOyed-OLher
Crops Seriously Injured Departure of
the DestrOyers.
Kansas Correspondence Cincinnati Gazette, ,Jitly IS.
You are already aware that the grasshoppers,
or Egyptian locusts, totally destroyed the crops
of winter wheat sown In the autumn of 1866, In
nearly all parts of this State, and in the south
eTn part OF Nebraska aud the western part Of
Missouri. They are kno Wn to have come from
the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains due west
of US, and to have passed over half that dts
tance without alightlng. They arrived here
early in September. Al the wheat that had
been sown was eaten to the ground at once and
all sown after their arrival was destroyed like
wise. They not only ate IT down at once, but
continued 10 do so until the grain rotted and
their work was so thorough that many fields of
from fifteen to sixty acres of as beautiful and
regular stand as one would wish to see, was
completely annlhilated, 80 that not q single
blade remained. They deposited their eggs
everywhere, but more particularly on ne Wly
ploughed land. AS soon as the spring opened
they began to hatch in places most exposed to
the sun, and as the warmth became greater
they hatChed out in all localities. From the
time they were hatched until their wings came
out sufficiently for them to fly, they fed upon
almost every form of vegetation. Moving in
herds, they would devour onions, cabbage, corn
potatoes, smartweed dog fennel, tansy, ra-
dishes, spring wheat, oats, ETC., but did not so
completely destroy any one important crop this
spring as they did the wheat last fall. Tue
grasshopper moves altogether by hopping, for
about six weeks. When its wings are ready to
come out, sheds an entire outer coat and seems
to expand in an hour or two to a third more
than its size just previous. After she lding this
coat they seem little sick or clumsy, and move
about somewhat sluggishly A little exposure to
the sun soon gives them the use OF their wings,
and as soon as a general movement is made they
can fly hundreds of miles without alighung.
During the week ending about the 4th OF July
the great mass of them took their departure IN
a northeasterly direction; you may hear OF them
in Iowa and Illinois, and woe to the section of
the country they visit! This is the first time
since the settlement OF this country that they
have been known to visit 1t, and we believe that
no part OF our broad land is secure from their
ravages.
Since these insects have left us we can form
some idea of our prospects for a crop. OF sprng
wheat but small breadth OF ground was sown
merely as last resort-nearly all OF which
was more or less injured; but few fields were
totally destroyed, so that of the breadth sown
there is about halt crop. OF oats about the
same may be said. o potatoes much more than
usual were planted, and although nearly all are
more or less injured, the crop promises well. Ot
corn many did not plant as much as they would,
through fear OF the insects, and nearly every
field was somewhat depleted by them, but we
have had such copous and timely rams that an
abundant crop is consequently expected.
Ground intended in the spring for corn, but
failed to be planted is being largely sown in
buckwheat, so that the breadth OF the ground
devoted to that crop will be unprecedentedly
large. AS to its prospects, of course we can
say nothing, except that the ground is in excel
lent condition TO receive the seed. All kinds of
garden vegetables that were not destroyed are
growing iuXuriantly. Of fruit, wherever there
Is a tree or bush of proper age it is loaded with
fruit of ITS kind. Currants, cherries, plums,
pears, apples. peaches, and everything else pro-
mise an abundant yield.
The preparation tor sowing another crop OF
wheat is on quite large scale, which Will only
be limited Oy the difficulty of obtaining seeG.