The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-04
THE CHRISTOPHER PLAGUE.
THE EXTENT OF RAVAGEs.

DESTROYED-THE METHOD OF FEEDING.
A special correspondent of the New York
Tribune writing from st. James, Watonwau,
Minn., on the 10Th instant, gives careful
resume of the extent and character of the in
sect ravages in that State: '"The cows have
long horns a great way of, is homely
New England proverb, as true ON the Min
nesota frontier as on Yankee farm. 1.-The
wheat crop of Minnesota has been destroyed
by grasshoppers" was the doleful story that
/ heard in Washington, to justify the prayer
of Gov. Davis for aid from the United States
government to save the people of this strick-
en- region from starvation. Half the State
is overrun," said the Chicago and Milwau-
kee wheat-traders. but whether they be-
lieved il or were attempting to "bull" the
market / did not ascertain. "One-twelfth of
the wheat crop is gone" says the st. Paul
Press, desiring to remove misapprehen-
sion and TO correct exaggerated reports
The actual fact Is that in no one OF
the dozen counties invaded by iocusts has
the crop been entirely destroyed. In some
townships two-thirds of a crop of wheat,
lax and corn will be gathered. in others
half. in some enough for bread and seed;
while upon few farms everything Is abso-
lutely destroyed. But the whole crop OF
this region is not one-twentieth of that in
the State, and the present promise is that
to sell this year as she did
last. when the surplus crop, after saving
enough to feed her own people and for seed,
was about . 100000 bushels. The region OF
the State visited by the grasshoppers this
year comprises about "a dozen counties in
the southwestern corner of Minnesota, lying
almost entirely west of the Minnesota
and Blue Earth Rivers, and penetrated
by the st. Paul IL Sioux City and
Winons & st. Peter Railroads. 1t is a
RICH, ROLLING PRAIRIE,
traversed by frequent streams and dotted
here and there with beautiful clear water
lakes, but is entirely destitute of timber ex-
cept in the river bottoms and on the borders
of the lakes. Four years ago there was no
settlers here except a few hardy pioneers
who pushed out from the frontier the year
before and preempted land under the pro-
visions of our homestead laws, and even
they were so widely scattered that from the
little hills on which they generally built they
were rarely able to see the shantv of their
nearest neighbOrs. Even the land held by
actual settlers is probably not one-fourth
vet broken up. Such is the character of the
country in Minnesota which the locustS
have this year inyaded--r country which
despite the length and severity of its win
tiers will eventually yield the palm TO none
in the production OF wheat and max, and is
sure, within few years, to be converted
into Valuable farms. But like other new
countries, Southwestern Minnesota has met
with great calamities. Two years ago crops
were full of promise, when a terrific hail
storm passed over these counties and de-
stroyed them IN an hour. Enough grain
was saved for bread and seed, but very few
of the farmers had much to sell. Many Of
them mOrtgaged their places and began
again. Last year the locusts came down
upon the fields and stripped many of them
clean, and laid the eggs from which this
years pests have been Matched. Those who
still saved enough for bread and seed, or
whose means were not exhausted, prepared
their ground for another crop, and by the
strictest economy lived through the winter;
others were dependent upon charity for
food and seed. and many who could not get
wheat borrowed flaXseed from the MankatO
Oil Company. st. James is a village not
quite four years old. Just half way between
St. Paul and Sioux City. and at the point
where the two divisions OF the st. Paul IL
Sioux City Railroad come together. 1t is
about 20 miles south of the northern limit
of the grasshopper invasion, and is the best
point in this section from which to
OBSERVE THEIR RAvAGEs
and study their habits. / arrived here on
Saturday, and in the afternoon drove out
a southeasterly direction from the railroad.
/ passed through in that distance about a
dozen farms, all of which had been attacked
by the locusts. The first field visited con-
tanned about 100 acres of wheat. The crop
on this field had been partially destroyed
last year, and the iocusts then deposited
some of their eggs upon it. The grain came
up his year very thick and thrifty, and
although the young locusts stripped of
nearly all of the tender leaves from the
stalks, they did not attack the heads of the
wheat until the berry was well formed.
L. . -.
field, and in few days had entirely des-
troyed it. Looking over the field from
the road il appeared as though a light
crop of grain might be gathered from it; but
on walking into the lot and examining the
heads of the wheat found that there was no
grain there. When the locusts attacked this
field they came in such great numbers that
from three TO five, and in some cases six or
seven, alighted on each stalk. If there were
any green leaves left they ate those first and
then attacked the head. The lower grains
ofthe heads, which are the largest and are
the best of the wheat, they generally de-
voured husk and ali. As they worked up
and their hunger became satisfied they
seemed to penetrate the husk and take out
the berry, very rarely leaving single grain
of wheat in the head. This field, the owner
assured me. had the choppers" let il
alone, would have yielded more than an
average crop. / don't think there is left a
bushel of wheat to the acre. The owner
will not cut it at all. On the same farm
there had been planted few acres of corn
and potatoes. OF the former the locusts had
destroyed about one-half, and from the lat
ter they had eaten a portion of the leaves
which had, however. since they left, begun
10 grow again, so that partial crop will bt
secured. Garden vegetables of every kind
were utterly destroyed. The next farm i
visited was about two miles further from st.
James, contained several hundred acres, anC
was very we'll subdued when we consider
that il has been broken up only three or foul
years. On this farm L saw the
first field of wheat that mad beer
COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
Here the locusts had settled last year, and be
side eating up good portion of the grain, hat
deposited their eggs from which this year.
lror, of nests hatohad ont This SEASON the,