The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-16
THE NEW PRODIGY.
THE NEW PRODIGY.
mr.. 1.r..shopper ON the War Path.
r,,r pEsoLATIoN OF FIELDS, AND THE DIES
PAIR OF FARMERS.


life insect, which is now entitled to the full
dignity of his scientific name.
GRYLLUs vULGARIs.
Having laid waste the whole central part
of the State, and desolated entire townships,
he may fairly complain of ill-usage If still re-
ferred TO by the beitting name of "grasshop-
per-" His rule is by no means over yet.
hear of certain localities which be has aban-
doned, ostepsibly on account of the rain. But
a more plausible reason is the failure OF the
means of subsistence G1ytlus Vutgdrss Is not
parsonage to be discouraged by such show
ers as have occurred so far. know from per-
sonal observation that he decidedly approves
of them, and that he rises from them refresh-
ed, invigorated, cheerful and hungry. He
laughs at showers, and thrives on the ram
that adds to his stores Very peculiar are
HIS MANNERS AND CUSTOMS
this wear, and though l am not sufficiently
versed in natural history to give with any PIE
tense to technical accuracy a description of
this marauder, can tell you what he does
The grasshopper of 1871 disdains to Jump.
That act which used to be SO characteristic of
the gryllats family, is now voted vulgar in all
polite grasshopper circles. Provided with good
wings, some of them richly digit and bordered
with yellow, they all emulate the butterflies and
fly from course to course in their eternal ban
quoting. There is little green relative of the
| family, the Sam Patch of the race, who
alone keeps alive the tradition that hopping
was ever one of its accomplishments
| All the rest-greeD, piebald, black and the
hoary OLD Quaker, clad in complete drab-fy
at all hazards. The prevalence OF this custom
makes the loss of leg or two, a misfortune TO
which they are peculiarly subject, matter of
no consequence. Whenever they do take little
respite from the continuous labor Of eating
they seek a sunny spot and there, resting on
their stomachs, if to get relief from the pains
of repleton, their long legs tucked snugly un-
der them, they seem still intent on the great
problem of their existence, thrusting out their
palpi in an antcipatory way, while their long
antenna are moving inquiringly here and
there. This preference fol the sun causes their
ravages to appear much more noticeable on the
roadsides, rhe borders of cart-roads and on the
margin of grain and corn fields than elsewhere
1t is not extravagant to say that the damage
directly and indirectly inflicted by the grass
hoppers in this State the present year must be
measured by NJ. iIas-i.-tl-. ..f....
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
In some places, both on the Androscoggin
and Kennebec the farmers are turning their
starving cattle into their grain fields to pick up
| what their arch enemy has left. There are
many square miles of territory swhere not a
bushel of grain will be raised, though before
| the descent of the destroyer there was unusual
promise of a crop. Hundreds of farmers, who
two weeks ago were expecting at least good
crop of corn, will hardly get an ear. The
winged freebooters do everything but dig the
potatoes, and they would not stick at that il
they could not work as destructively by eating
the tops. The fields look as if fire had run
over them. The scene is indeed gloomy ore.
Why has antiquity, which is SO prolific in
nymphs of trees and food, given us none to
weep over this ruin-to join tears in hel
mourning for this untimely loss Of Proserpne
The exuburant fruitfulness of nature which
usually strikes the observer so wildly at this
season is sadly missed. The weeds, wild flow.
ers and shrubs that commonly intrude them
| selves in every vacant spot, and embellish the
roadside, the pasture, the stone wall and the
fences, are driven from their old haunts For
your grasshopper is no epicure. He will make
his meal as cheeriully on the outer rnd of bull
rushes or thistle as on more delicate viands
If hard pressed he will even attack the smart
weed, and the new theory of the origin OF cah-
Ger in the stomach does not deter them from a
reluctant nibble at the tomato vine. The Bit
ter worm wood fourishes alone, for even the
all-destroyer shuns it. Never was such a
desolation as this seen in Maine. 1t is desert
on which rests cloud of erasshoppers. The
cricket hardly utters a note, but the shrill ci
cada. Ling nf tho nnn4.e-ins sernv- aAnas
forth his piercing cry of triumph into the hot
air of MONDAY. . ...
| TOTAL DErRAvITY.
The moral quality of the invader is best seen
in the incredible malignity Of his method OF
attacking corn-feld One would suppose
that the broad leaves of the corn would provide
| the grasshoppers with field of operations
where he might appease his hunger without
seriously impairing the health of the plant.
But the assailant carefully shuns these, and
unhesitatipgly attacks the saki This, of
course, is fatal. The silk, as you know, is made
up of the pistils of the corn, which must be fer
tilted by the pollen from the spindle to awak-
en- life in the dormant corn germ. These pis-
tiles are eaten off athe instant they appear
have seen acres where apparently not a dozen
stalks have missed this treatment. When
the silk is gone they penetrate into the ear it.
self, and only resort to the leaves when all else
is gone
OTHER ECCENTRICITIES.
Entering wheat or barley field, the grass
hopper indicates decided preference for the
leaves. Beginning at the soutside he soon
make an end of these, begins on the beard eats
the top of the head and finally cuts it off
When the heads begin to fall the farmer cuts
his grain or turns in his cattle. Oats are treat
ed in still more summary style. The slen-
der thread connecting the kernel with the
stock is almost the first object of attack, and in
day or two after the work begins the ground
is thckly sown with oats and the crop is ruin
ed. Small trees suffer severely. Not content
with completely stripping them of their leaves,
the grasshoppers begin ct the end and-eat their
way downwards through the tender bark. If
this process is carried too far the tree is DOOM
ed. The work Of the grasshcppers is nowhere
more apparent than in the grass-felds. Ex-
cept near the houses, they take every green
blade as soon as it starts. There would be a
moderate quantity of falffeed, in spite of the
drought, we're it not for this As it is there is
nothing but stubble. s--
REMEDIES. 9t
The disaster is SO overwhelming that there is
hardly thought of finding remedy. The
only thing of that nature we have ever seen
tried is driving. Two or three persons mass
through field of wheat or corn great uum-
Der of times, beginning on the wiudward side.
Those who are farthest in from the border fall
behind the others for the purpose of moving
the grasshoppers scared up by those in ad-
vance one stage further. If this is done two or
three time day it is found to be not altogeth-
er useless, but it requires degree of activity
and perseverance that few possess. There is
absolutely no other resource. Near the farm
buildings the barn-yard fowl keep the enemy
at bay, and we have even he ard of driving
chantlcleer and his flock out into the fields and
keeping them there for the sake of
their services in this direction. (Quere. Does
this give hint at the etymology of the word
hareno-scdrem If brook happens to run
through farm, piece of exquisite revenge
becomes possible. You may then drive the
cohorts of the enemy into it, where the hum
cry fish spring at them before they have touch
ed the water. Pharaoh and his host were not
so effectually swallowed up as they will be.
ToM-ToM
The LIFE OF ST. PATRICK is the title of a
work now being issued in parts to form vol
ume, by the wel-knOWn Catholic nuhlishipo