The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-08-13
Farm, Garden and Household,
The Grasshopper Plague.


general attention of the country has been
turned in this direction, and Il fear has
been entertained that the wheat crop of
Minnesota. which was last wear variouslv
estimated at from "a 900, 900 to %. .OOO, ,O0O
bushels, would be seriously affected
Whenthe news was first published it was
hoped that the stories might prove to be
nntounded, or, at least somewhat eXag-
gcrated, but the evidence received at off
cial quarters during the past week allows
no question but that the grasshoppers.
Matched from eggs deposited by the cloud
mat passed over southwestern Minnesota
n Little less than i wear ago are working
great destruction. Wherever the grass
hoPperS have appeared they have cleared
everything before them, but more especial
" wheat, tor which they seem TO have q
special appetite They rise up like cloud,
and pass for distances OF Il mile Or more
through strips Of timber and across small
streams 10 met to a field Of wheat. The
corn does not seem to suffer so much eN-
cept in cases where the pests have come
distances. and appear in need OF noursh-
ment; and where wheat and corn are
sanding side by side, the wheat is first
aiken. and in case there is sufficient to
1tistv their rapacity, they almost entirely
Tnorp the corn but the moment the wheat
'ailS, the graSshoppers settle down on the
corn and leave hui the skeleton or the
naIt Of tha ynoetahla Thirh satioGas ,ben,
nest
'''''''ril e'''I'i',S liieN ,'N'ui 41l tht
LII, Ir iuil. ~ Niir',; ~ lHt! 40 lot
liiY ''l'ellVl' lth c>'s .iit.y seem
~, ".''i'l ,'' iio' - '"'Ol' 'iiI
tl go NY Wy 2,'l.i1 '.ilie ~ oJ ItS'i''t-
nc 10y =, '',i ie',t'. liie ID M
''', |'T En- y .'1' 'i'' nul'i'tl,
AZ e'i'at,''
,ha;r ','', a,, E -H', ,',' Gvi''.I" ~
.,, SS l'''H N.'''i' lI0ilI n ',l'
middle Dr. thc 3av or whom tbn snn WIS
well up IN the heavens They look ike
the eottor-wood seed ne tho,- 'aro Avino
throuoh tho ai, elevated from 3oa t6 30
tr4t T6r General nrpdiction was that
rbe, nqt c,3no e. aa'lv that ,boy wonll
.aqye hetore thov daposited their eoos.
Ibia Snr;no fhp, commenced ha1cbino ont
.bont The last of Anrn in patches and in
,-reat rumhrrs Ashley leave the cocoon
fHey are of creamy white color. But.
4tter eyDosura 10 the a1mosnhere and the
1.at of The SIM far - few hours they ,urn
Bod q brown COLOR and linppr where 1bav
'ct hAlcheN '"entY-Iouf ho4rS or more
J. ms i'Ine = N'!lif4rol 10 develop mem
enough lor e'ithS purposes an" away
ihey 90 general!Y ~ me direction OF me
l'leNahhg Nre2r anu Sel'le upon lhe
nearest Nhe2l AeHi htN are tremendous
caters ana al'hoHgh iaS' ldlonS Wheh thefe
'' variety oi ItSrt3'1I'N rom "hieh they
.'n tIiooSf, Mt'ei 'il''N cannon hho Eege1a
"H infl WIZ even ra@ Pailh. ia some
!"'aii'lt9 young It"Ii lrteN nave peeh IN
lur'u- ~ general 'AIh9 lhtN seem 10
IreFaI ihoSl Where me sou !s sandy anu
me lana mas an eastern of southern eX-
PoSure
Some satisfaction Is tell from the tact
that an enemy ha~ appeared in the shape
ot bright red ing, tiat and in its motions
not unlike bedding. How these bugs
can catch the @raSshoprrrs il is difficult to
tfil, rs even The newly-horn graSShoppers |
Wlll clear yard n q Jump, But the |
theory seems To he that these small red |
Jugs dPYour the eggs lust before they are |
hatcned 10 what extent this small enemy |
teStroYS the graSSh0ppcrS only time can |
tell. he ravages OF the graSshoppers |
had, up 10 the 18th, been confined 10 Sey
aral newly-settled counties in the south |
western part OF the State. embracing an
area OF ahont ninelI I-SiN miles square. or. |
ia other words. over 9 900 square miles in
PIT The TILED area in The ravaged dis
rrirt can he placed n 20, 600 acres, and |
The area in wheat therein at 20o,000 acres
ot which probably rot less than 80, 900
hl't -f4 a -,I ba11 ic
y" bushels, the area represents NOT less
ihan 100000 bushels of wheat. which |
mas been doYoured in the milk by grass |
AoppcrS. or anont one-tw@ltth oi The wheat
cFopot the state. IothiS are to be added
4o.""o acres OF oats, At lhlIty-three bushels
n 1he acre or 1870. .UOo bushels IN all. |
1h"nt one-lWeli'h OF the oat crop OF the
state; 2UUo" acres OF corn, at thirtYiWo
bushels per acre, ORC 10000 bushels IN all;
and perhaps 10000 acres more in rye,
barley, potatoes and other
ropS. he value ol the crops destroyed
can be estimated ny EaIning the wheat as