The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-12-01
Our Western Letter.
HUTCHINSON, Reno Co., Kans.,
November nth, 1874.

through Kansas TO COl0rad0, and am
making the jaunt leisurely, giving myself
opportunity to SEQ the country, and learn
something of the people. am spending a
few days in this delightful, thriving, en-
terprising, three-year- old city Of Hutchin-
son, and find have little time for let
ter-writing. had heard so much Of the
utter ruin caused by the grasshoppers, that
had expected to see a land quite stripped
of all vegetation ga dried up, desolate
country" as the descriptions read, "and
discouraged, disheartened population. -
What actually have found in Kansas,
may be of interest to your readers, and
perhaps allay some needless fears.
In Eastern Kansas found the damage
inflicted by the grasshoppers to be compar-
atively light. Ny route Of travel over the
Kansas Midland Railroad, from Kansas
city, took me through the Kaw. (or Kansas)
Valley, as far as Topeka. Vegetation ap-
peared to be about as luxuriant as ever,
and, but for the corn-helds, one would not
have discovered that be was in the "grass-
hopper region" From Topeka / have
travelled westward, on tho line of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad,
through the Cottonwood Valley and into
the Arkansas Valley. Here the grasshop-
pers were in as overwhelming numbers and
proved as destructive, perhaps, as any
where. BY the time they appeared in
Eastern Kansas, (some two or three
weeks later than here) the corn had so far
matured, that while they had cut off the
leaves and tassels, they left the ears Of corn
hanging upon the stalks. Further west
ward, the ears being in the "milly state"
were also destroyed, leaving the bare stalks
standing in the fields like so many walking
canes, stuck in the ground. Here, in this
portion of Middle Kansas, the grasshop-
pers came early enough to find the corn in
still tenderer state, and they destroyed not
only leaf and tassel and the incipient ear,
but ate even the stalks down to within a
foot or two of the ground, leaving field
not of bare canes, but of bare pegs. /
have made it point to ascertain the dam
ages actually caused, by the grasshoppers
in this region, and have came in contact
with, and received direct information from
hundreds of farmers residing in the coun-
ties of Lyon, Chase, Marion, Harvey,
Sedgwick and Reno. AS the result of their
statements, think the following may be
relied upon, as tolerable accurate sum-
mary of what was lost, and what was saved
in these counties.
Corn-almost total failure, in general.
When planted very early, a partial crop
was secured. In few special instances
in Lyon and Chase counties, fair crops
As to 60 bushels per acre.
Winter wheat-not affected by grasshop-
pers. Crop considered very fair, ranging
from Is to 35 bushels per acre. Many
farmers harvested from 1000 to 1000
bushels.
Spring wheat = raised in considerable
quantities yielded all the way from to
25 bushels per acre.
Rye--sown only in limited quantities a
good crop everywhere, and averaging 20
bushels per acre--some fields yielded 90
bushels.
Fruit-not badly damaged by the grass
hoppers. The small fruits, Strawberries,
blackberries &C., yielded we'll wherever
grown, and were out Of the way OF the de.
stroying army. The leaves of the apple
tree we've taken, but the apple left un.
touched. One farmer harvested 800 bush.
els from 200 trees. Peach trees lost their
leaves and occasionally the peach was bit
ten but the crop was large one, and in
several towns peaches could be had at %
cents per bushel Cherries we're abundant.
Grapes we're very plenty, suffering com.
paratiyely slight injury.
Yegetables-a good crop Of early sort =
Late vegetables, in the main, were food fol
the grasshoppers. Some people succeeded
in saving their gardens, by liberal use Of
fire and smoke, or by driving the grass
hoppers away with whip; but Mr.. Ber.
nard of Chase county, who lost a field Of
1900 cabbnges, tells me lie tried all these
means without success. There was a tol.
cradle crop of sweet potatoes, late beeti
and turnips.
GIass-a crop Of prime Importance,
though often quite overlooked, which was
but slightly injured. Pasturage has beer
comparatively good all through the season,
and the hay harvest is unprecedently large
Some farmers have put up from 80 to 1OC
tons.
A prominent clergyman Of Lawrence