The Jasper weekly courier., 1874-09-25
Some Interesting Facts About the Lo-
Gusts.

A reporter Of the st. Louis q lobe has in
teryiewed Prof. Riley. State kntom0logisi
of Missouri, in reference to the locust
plague, and this is what the Professor said
There is deal Of alarm expressed about
these locusts; a fear that they will come "a
/ this part of the country. wish 10 allay
I that fear. do not think there j. any rea.
son To beiieve they will get any nearer
than they have. Within the last sixty
years they have not extended beyond q
certain tier of counties i'm Missouri. hayc
rot good many letters like this (holding
up one from Cole county,. L got word
from Mr.. Broadhead. State Geologist. that
the locusts or grlsshoppersa are at Pleasant
Hill, but not doing much damage. said
that would be the eastern limit. They
will not 90 beyond. | ann going 10 see 4
they extend beyond that point, and will
spend few days in the district. Ii is a
few miles from the western limit OF the
State. On reference TO our chronicles
find they have never passed the western
tier of counties of our State. and there ]
every reason 10 believe they never will
There is limit to the extent of the flight
of these insects. consequently can tell
the farmers Of Missouri and Others over
the State that there is no need of appre-
hension. They are bad IN Kansas City
and some of the northwestern counties,
but they need not fear them TO the east.
have records Of these invasions-such as
have attracted any Misunderstanding the
last sixty years. In 1866 they came as lar
"a Pleasant Hill. but did not DO much harm
and did not 90 beyond. All these letters
are respecting the grasshoppcrs (pointing
to package Of papers,.
The reporter asked the man of science
how he explained the cause of these i'm
vasions. He said. briefly: These insects
are natives Of the canyons of the Rocky
Mountains. They breed by nature there.
al great altitude. Every few Years in
their native habitat they become 80 pro-
digiously multiplied that by the time they
acquire their wings they are forced from
there by necessity. They have cleaned of
every green thing where they hatch. and
they are forced by hunger to take flight.
and they swarm on the plains below in
large numbers. in the course of a year
they are not capable Of extending beyond
certain limit. and that point have indi-
Gated to you.
Another point: When they get on to
the plains of the East the greater density.
the humidity OF the atmosphere. does not
suit them. The change is such that i'm
rttsnI ol inultpiN iilE III EcbiHttTlc1u Tallo.
"a some insects do. they become slckly.
The first generation hatch their eggs de-
posted in this low country and die. many
of them before they can do much injury.
They are seldom fertile. and become in
testate. so that there is no second genera
ton. intend to go fully into the sub
ject in my next annual report. and am
answering letters continuously. The main
point is To assure the people Of Missouri
that there is no danger beyond the west
ern tier of counties. A great deal can be
done to guard against the injury next
year. Twill explain what can be done
next fall 10 prevent such visitation. In
Minnesota the injury by grslsshoppers Was
cansed by the progeny Of those that came
last fall. and that might have been pre-
vented by proper efforts. | will suggest
the means 10 be adopted.
In reply to further inquiries. Prof.
Riley said that the insect is properly
termed the locust. and Is the same crea-
ture that is mentioned in the New Testa-
ment Scriptures a. to the means Of do
ing away with the locusts' eggs. he sug-
gested deep plowing AMI irrigation of the
land. They never lay their eggs in moist 4
lands, and they soon rot where there l.
moisture