Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-06-19
Grasshoppe1-s In the
AH West. Il. Il

1raSshOppGTs In the
AH West. j. aa
EDIToR GAzErrE. The old saying
that "pestilence and famine follow
war" In likely to be verified In our
own country from present appearan-
ces on our Western frontier. I refer
to the grasshopper plague, which is
becoming sad reality, as many of
the farmers Of Western Iowa are be-
ginning to realize to their sorrow
Living as do in the border of what
is known rs the ''grasshorper dis
trict," (Boone County, and having
had opportunities to post myself as to
their movements and workings,
wish to say few words to your read
ers, all of whom nre directly interest
ed In this subject.
During the month of August, 1867,
millions of grasshoppers inhabiting
the pplains and Rocky Mountains
took up slins of harch across Tile
continent, and by the middle of Sep
TENDER reached from a point IN Min
nesota to the half of Mexico, cover
Ing the westefn half of Iowa, Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Louisiana, and
the entire States Of Nebraska, Kan
sas and Texas, also including Daco-
tab and Indian Territories and ex-
tending into Mexico. Much damage
was done to crops last fall and mil
lions of eggs were deposited for this
years. crop; and while, In the colder
regions the old chopper cusscsh per-
ished with the severe winter, In the
Southern chimes not only the young
crop is now on hand, but the old
ones still live to curse the country
with their presence. In Arkansas
the woods have been burnt this
spring to destroy the plague aud thus
save the crops, but to little purpose.
The best information / can gel
from Western Iowa Is that crops are
being destroyed in many places to-
tally and In other localities only par.
TALLY, as yet, Many pieces, of wheat
In Boone County, west Of the Des
Moines River are being plowed up,
while others are. completely destroy
ed, so much so that there is not q yes.
tige Of wheat left to show that ten
days since the prospect was good foi
a fair crop. The corn crop hns also
been attacked and on many farms
entirely destroyed. Some farmers re-
plant but others prefer tosave what
corn they have, considering 1t use
less to throw it'away by planting, Sas
there Is as yet no prospect for q bet.
ter state of affairs. The grasshoppers
at present vary in size, from one-six.
tenth of an inch to two inches In
length, TALL of whom are busily en-,
gagged In destroying everything
green in their reach. '3'a ! 2
Some idea may be obtained OF theil
number by q little circumstance
which occurred on the G. An. w. r.
r., near the Des Moines RiyeT q few
DAYS sihce' ana iest some OF your
readers may question the truth OF th'
statement, ] will refer them for par
ticulars 70 the Officers or That compa
NY i'm charge of the Western lows
DIVISION An engine started out O
Moingona Win three empty cars
pouhd LOT one OF the many Goa
mines In that valley q little dis
lance rom Town the train run into
mass Oh grassnoppers which so com
pletely soaped the track that 1t wa
Impossible to proceed. Backing III
they started again ana was agar
brought 10 a matt. This time the,
coulu neither go aheaa or "ach ah'
amor nef engine was seh1 70 'neir re
heI.
see hothihS 10 save the crops
that country. Should the hopper
cease work now, Western .Iowama,
average a half crop, but u - doubt
ful ,While the prospect - that they
VIII continue their work for week
yet, perhaps oil summer, In whiel
case crops must be ON entire failur'
throughout the grassbepper district
The question has been asked M
many times Ina this city as to Tia
course the hoppers VIII take Mt tn