The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-09-03
THE GRASSHOPPER.
FOR THE PREVENTION OF
IFS RAVAGES, AND THE DES-
TRUCTION OF THE INSECTS.

Consul at Winnipeg, writes a long
letter to the Mamitobam, of that city,
from which we take the following ex-
tracts
HISTORICAL.
In the records Of the Jesuit missions
Of California we find early mention of
the scourge; but with much evidence
Of its periodicity. The year 1922 was
disastrous; the next visitation was in
1746, continuing three years; next in
1853 and 1854, and afterwards in
1865, 1855 and 1857. During this
century the periods of great destruc-
tion in California have been 1928,
1888, 1916 and 1856. In the latter
year these insects covered the entire
territories Of Washington and Oregon ;
every valley of the State of California
ranging from the Pacific Ocean to the
eastern base of the Sierra Nevada, the
entire territories of Utah and New
Mexico, the immense grassy prairies
lying on the eastern slopes of the
Mountains, the dry mountain valleys
of the Republic of Mexico, and the
countries Of Lower California and
Central America, and also those Dor.
tions Of the State of Texas which re.
semble in physical characteristics
Utah and California. The locusts ex.
tended themselves in one year over g
surface comprised within 38 degrees
Of latitude, and in the broadest par1
18 degrees of longitude.
In 1856 there was much injury il
Texas, Kansas and Minnesota; anc
ten years afterwards Kansas and the
western district of Missouri and Iowa
suffered greatly, creating necessity
for public contributions from the
Eastern States to relieve the destitute
| Since the settlement of Minnesota
there have been five grasshoppe1
years: 1855, 1857, 1866, 1873 anc
now 1874-in each case with a los
of one-tenth of the entire crop of the
State.
| The history of the Red River Set
tlement presents similar proportion
OF years Of suffering and exemption
Since the settlement under Lord Sci
kirk in 1912, the locusts have appear
ed in 1918 and 1919, then, long in
terval to 1878, next in 1864-5, do
ing slight injury in 1868, the ia
mine year; in 1869-70; in 1923
and now 1874, with the probabilit,
that the ova deposited will threate1
the crops of 1875. The last sever
years have been peculiarly unfortu
nate-there being but one full cro1
while the average loss cannot hav
been less than one-half: With th
extension Of settlements in Manitoba
the loss will probably be reduced t
10 per cent.-the rate observed il
locust years in the States west of tn
Mississippi river equally exposed t
the pest, although the calamity is still
greatly heightened by the circumstanc
that special districts are the scenes G
devastation.
The great treeless pampas of sout]
America have been repeatedly cover
ed in various districts by locus
swarms.
NATURNAL REMEDIES.
:: Su''lghrDuring flights of the l,
Gust, the immunity of any particula
district will often turn upon the fa>
Of a bright sun and a cloudless SIX,
Their instinct is to ''move on" Will
the sun shines and the air is warm
and if two dull, cold days had NJ
followed the first bright day of the
late advent in Manitoba, Lake of tt
} Woods and the surrounding wilde
ness might have entombed the enti1
mass.
} Birds.-The startling, blackbir|
; lark, crow, jackdaw and other speci'
of birds, make great havoc. Domest
4 fowls are also useful.
:, HUMAN AGENCIES AGAINST Full
;. GROWN LoCUsTs.
: &mudges.-Mr. Taylor quotes l@
i ter to the New York Herold, in whi<
;: the smoking out process employed
j. Asia and Africa is given, which Gle
n es as follows:
J. "Let our settlers in the Northwe
o initiate their uncivilized fellow 81
s ferers of Asia and Africa. Let the
d kindle brisk fires early in the NOR
q ing, at least one hour before sunris
l. all round their farms or fields, or,
D that be impossible, then kindle the
s. all along that side in the direction
+ which they expect the invasion Of t
o locusts. The fires should not be mo
; than 100 yards apart-the closer t
IS better. Coal tar. half dried peat,
d still less expensive matter, such
0 grass, sod, wet straw, green brus
e wood, reeds, cattle dung, bones, hor
II and hoofs of dead animals, refu
a leather and hides, cast off shoes al
70 rags-in fact, anything that will c,
9 ate a dense, sitting smoke, and is
IL the same inexpensive, should
d thrown into the fires, and a rigoro
/ fumigation should be kept up frc
u tsunrise to sunset, or as long as t
locusts are on the wing"
If Roping the felds.-A corresponds
j. of the New York Tribune, describi
X the visitations of 1873 in southweste
b, Minnesota, says: "One of the M
0. efectual means employed was to 'ro]