The New York herald., 1874-07-13
THE CRASSHOPPERS' CAMPAIGN.
Their Descent Upon MinnesOtn-There
are One Hundred Bushels or Gra sshOp-
pers to the Acre-Fear OF the Utter De-
struction of the Wheat Crop.


are One Hundred Bushels or Ora asshOp-
pers to the Acre-Fear OF the Utter De-
struction of the Wheat Crop.
[rrom the st. Paul Press, July 81
Now that the vast army of grasshoppers has got
fairly in motion, some idea OF its immense range
may be gathered from the fact that our special de-
spatches this morning report their simultaneous
appearance yesterday, 1ying from the southeast
to the northwest, at Sheldon and East orange, IN
Northwestern Iowa, where they lighted yesterday
in immense clouds ON the finely growing crops; AT
Mankato over 200 miles east of those points, where
they we're dying northward, ana at Brecklnrldge
over $50 miles north OF the first mentioned points,
Contrary to expectation and TO the impression
derived from their first movements, they have not
pursued continuous light nOrthwestward or
even nOrthward but large bodies OF them nave
returned southward and southeas tward, IN the in
verse direction OF their original movement. Either
these ere the same swarms returning whence
they came, possibly because they found the coun
try so deSOated on their nOrthward track that
they were forced to go back for supplies, or they
were new swarms following what appears to be an
erratic impulse only because their general migra-
tory movement has seemed to be definitely north
ward, and because what has been Known OF their
early flight back to their native deserts. Their
winged columns seem, too, TO have spread out
laterally toward the east, SO that the sklrmish
line on their eastern flank now takes IN
Blue Earth county. 1t is just possible that
they may continue this flank movement toward
tue east. Ii the prodigious swarms Of hungry To-
Gusts should once take it into their heads, alter
stripping the thinly settled country west OF Man.
kato to move eastward over the rich, populOus
ana prosperous agricultural counties this side OF
the Blue Earth and Minnesota rivers, the destruc
tioh of crops would be immense, and the calamity
teniold what has resulted from their ravages IN
the newly aud sparsely settled region to which
they have heretofore been confined. If they
should once set about II, there can be no doubt
that they could without difficulty destroy IN a
single week the entire growing grain crop Of
Minnesota. Their numbers are simply prOdlgious.
Mr.. James q. Butterheld estimates, from the
numbers cnging to stalks of wheat, oats, &C., as
compared with The numper and size of Kernels OF
wheat, that In Watonwan county, where MS Iarm
is situated there were 100 bushels of grasshoppers
to the of all growing crops, and they were as
thicA over the whole TILED area Of the country
westward to the Iowa line as in Watonwan county
We know not what law or influence guides their
migrations but Ii the mysterious impulse which
impels them should unfori unateiy send them over
the vast grain feds OF Southern and Central Min
nesota, they ave quite capable of devourlng the
entire crop OF 80, 600 900 bushels Ol wheat, which
are now estimated 10 be growing in this State,
without overlooking their voraclOus stOmachs.
Happily there are no present indications that this
terrible calamity is IN store ior us. 1t Is an en-
couragng slgn that our Breckinridge special re-
ports them flying northwestwal over that place.
This ls no doubt the advance column OF the great
retreating army, and let hope that all the lag
gard legions may follow this example and the eX-
cellent advice OF the late MIR. Greeley, and "GO
West,o