Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-04-02

which the second winters in the immature
condition. They are the Grouse locusts,
and are not known to be very injurious.
The grasshoppers of which you speak in
YOUR letter as found last spring Gin great
numbers as early as March, upon fences
and buildings" would seem more proba-
bly, to have belonged to one or more of
these species, rather than to the Goat
headed kind before spoken Of.
Fortunately for our State, it is only at
long intervals that grasshoppers are here
30 numerous as to become public calam-
ity. Other regions of our country, as
well as many foreign ones, are by no
means so free from these pests as Maine
is. A citizen of Waterville. successful
and intelligent farmer from 1928 down to
the present time, and who has kept exact
records Of his doings and observations,
tells me that since 1928 there have been
only two years when the grassheppers
have been destructive in this vicinity,
namely, the years 1852 and 1871. That
is, out of forty-four years there have been
only two .'grasshopper years" in kennebec
county. The whole country from the
Mississippi to the Pacific is subject to be
overrun at short intervals by grasshopper
very closely related to our Red-legged
species, and so nearly like it in size and
general appearance that none but those
who make study of insects would detect
any difference between them. A friend
of ours found in 1868, this species devour-
ing immense fields of grain in Central
Iowa. Some districts of Southern France
are said to be frequently devastated. for
several years in succession, by grasshop-
pers of various species. And that the
crops may be saved. large sums of money
are paid out in bounties for the destruction
of the insects and their eggs. So expert
do the people become from practice, that
DR.. Harris says an active boy can collect
from thirteen to fifteen pounds of eggs in IA
day:
If grasshoppers were for successive
years as destructive in Maine as they were
last season, our farmers would be COM
PEELED in self defence to make themselves
better acquainted with the eggs and the
places of their deposit. In the Waterville
Mail for September Sth. 1871, appeared a
communication from well known and
most respectable farmer of Fairfield, in
which he asserts, Notwithstanding abun-
dant facts and testimony to the contrary,
that the June grasshoppers "come from
the white froth or spittle on the grass, y
adding, 'sall farmers are aware of this
fact" The editors, in the same issue, APP
piled the best possible correction to this
error, by reprinting from Merry's Muse
um for September, a most interesting
statement of the truth respecting ths
'sSnake- spittle,s SO called. Within tn,
mass Of froth is small green grub tina
may be watched, and proved to becom
something wholly unlike any grasshop
per-namely the little "Froghopper,
which belongs to another order of insects
Again, the correspondent of the Mail dt
clares the reddish parasitic mites, whic
are often found on the bodies OF a...sshol
pers, beneath the wings, to be their egg
He says: 1.-The idea that lice under Il
wings of grasshoppers are going to d
stroy them, as has been advanced
many, think is erroneous. l have exar
ined scores Of them through a magnifyil
glass; and find nothing that resembl
the parasite or louise in the least" He
is double mistake. The eggs of Il
grasshoppers are always of the charact
before described. and are never carrie
about upon the body of the insect. N
are all parasites lice, or similar to lie
Grasshoppers infested by the mites sho
lack of vitality and soon die. Moreove
men who give their lives to the study
insects discover in these 'red dots" t
organization peculiar to parasitic mite
while no one has found in them the chs
acteristics of eggs, or obtained from the
the fruits that such eggs should yield
young grasshoppers.
Another parasite destructive to gras
hoppers and crickets is the 'hair-worm
of which three or four may sometimes
taken from a single insect. On reachir
maturity they take to standing waite
where they lay their eggs. Found in Il
drinking places of cattle, they are su
posed by some persons to be horse hair
that have become living worms by Writ,
Of soaking in water.
The foregoing has been written only b
cause you have requested it, and consis
OF little more than statement of Ion
established facts. What still remains
be learned about grasshoppers is not sma
in amount, but will probably prove to |
Of greater interest to the student of ma
urai history than to the farmer.