The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-10-22
GRASSHOPPERS IN COLORADO.
Method of Their Ravages-The Bill OF
Fare Which they Prefer.

methOu OF Incir haN0Ses-The Bill OF
Fare Which They Prefer.
SO soon as we had abundance of
water, says N. g. Meeker, writing to
the Tribune from Greeley, grasshoppers
came again and alighted in patches of
few millions each in our wheat fields.
The bulk of the grain was too far ad-
vanced to be injured, and they only ate
off the blades, so that when cut the
stalks were slippery. Late wheat was
badly injured, and oats were in many
places destroyed. They visited the
whole of Colorado at the same time,
but only in groups, though in larger
ones close to the mountains, and they
attacked the oats at such a critical
time as to make the crop everywhere
short aud good seed scarce next spring.
OF all the crops there is none which the
grasshoppers love better than oats, un-
less il be onions. In about a week they
all left, when the wheat was harvested
and hopes were high, but in less than
ten days another gang came, and they
undertook to finish the oats. Machines
were put in Immediately, when they at
tackled the corn, of which we had
large breadth exceedingly promising.
After working at it few days they
seemed to have received orders to start
on their travels, and they all took wing,
and everybody rejoiced again. But
about noon one day the sight began to
fade little, aud on looking up the
grasshoppers were seen some 500 feet
high, millions and millions, going
southeast, which made us pity those
whom they would visit; but soon
o,,,o1l ,,orfio,, ANNA down opd oc II, q
twinkling they covered gardens and
fields, though they were not what we
called thick. Tie next day as many
more came, and we had them good, if
that is the word, or bad, if one likes it
better. They were tired, and in need
of rest, which they took; but next
morning bright and early, notwith-
standing it was Sunday, they went to
work in earnest. thought had seen
them thick before, and that L knew
something about them, but they were
new revelation this time.
They worked expeditiously all
through the valley, and those who had
cabbage patches of few hundred head
at breakfast, had none when the bell
rang for church.; celery disappeared,
and the currant and gooseberry bushes
looked as though there had been
heavy frost. Before night much OF the
sweet corn was gone, and the whole
stock of the women's flowers, verbenas,
gladiolas, pinks, and the like were
wiped away. Still some things they
did not touch, and among these were
roses and phlox. Beets in the field
were riddled, and pie-plant was eaten
in part by the acre, however poisonous
| Solon Robinson's axalic acid in it may
be. By Tuesday they had made such
headway in cornfelds that all who
could cut it and put it in stocks, and
even then they kept chewing so badly
that one man hauled his into the barn.
Twenty or thirty grasshoppers, or as
many as could get around, would attack
an ear and gnaw deep among the husks.
If the corn had been planted by the
middle of May it was well glazed and
they could do little more damage than
eat off the blades if in the milk they
ate it is as readily as hogs would. The
leaves of apple and pear trees disap-
peared, but those of cherries, plums,
and peaches they did not touch, nor
did they interfere with Strawberries or
blackberries, but raspberry bushes
| WClO nlttiC ttSoOlluOs 4hCah"hllO ulCS
delighted to getinto the house, especially
into the parlor, ard took fancy to
lace curtains. When night came, all
who could got into the trees to roost. I
have cotton woods, ash, maple and
other trees, from 10 to 20 feet high,
with limbs from an inch to two inches
in diameter, in all over 100 around
the house, and so many grasshoppers
were Oh these trees that the branches
bent down from 10 to Is inches. OF
course, the prospects were dark, for we
expected them to stay and lay eggs
which would hatch next spring. How
ever, it was noticed on Wednesday that
they were not quite so thick on Thurs
day there were certainly fewer, and
they continued to leave gradually. I
have stated what they would eat and
what they would not, but our expert
epce in former visitation was to the
effect that if they stay few weeks there
is nothing green they will not devour.
They will e-ep get into ripe Hubbard
squashes and into watermelons and de-
strOY them,