, 1874-07-23

Iho graBshopper8 Of Mihnesota AaYo boen to
Minnesota whht tho grent fro Of II was to CHI
cago; what tho foods havo boon to Louisiana.
tho famine to Bongal, and tho loyal Republican
carpct-baggers to South Carolina. Thore nro
remedies against tiroB, remedies against floods,
thcro arc remedies against fnminoB, aud eYen
against Republican carpet-baggo1s. IL thero
nny against graashoppors !? Can N1innoaotn do
nnything to prevent tho recurrence Of sucl1 a
terrible visitation as al,o las bud this summer?
she eau, evidently, it tho pharmacopula of
agriculture affords romody. II it loes not,
then eho had bcttor establish now olico, mp
point stato Entomologat or agricultural
doctor; havc him, II possible, discover tho cause
of tho wonderful! multiplication Of thcso insocse,
and suggest moans to prevent their monstroue
incroaso IN tho future. Locusta and grasshop-
pora haVo becn committing dovastationa from
timo imme1norial. It may bo difficult bat, until
tho contrary ia demonBtrated, NO will bolioyo 1t
possible, for science to prevent tho imn,onBo In
crohao OF theHo insects and to hinlor their
sweeping over a,,l devastating whole .racts Of
country. Tho problem may not yot be solved.
1t ih not necessarily insolublo, for agricultural
inscotolosy is yot in Its infancy.
science las long Bnce shown that all in
secta ha3e very uHoful part to play in the
creation. They prcservo certain vegetable and
animal species from attaining q numerical pro-
ponderanco, to tho detrimont Of othere: be-
sidos which, they hasten tho decomposition of
1nrRufntt hnAfnn md %t,+,u
which enters into their composition from re-
mining idle too long. It has boon pointed out
that largo farming, Or covering vary great tracts
Of land with the same vegetable product, dis
turbH tho equilibrium Of Nature, which never
intended that tho whole earth, or any vast
oxtent Of 1t, should be turned ovor to
the production Of nothing but potatoes
or whcat. It il tho mission of 1oounts
and other insects to interfere with the yio1a-
slon OF Naturo's law, aH at present established.
and to root out tho ambitious organism which
would establish universal monarchy. Large
farming, that is, aB said before, covering whole
counties with tho same class Of vegetation.
carsea the ewarming Of insects. Planting yego-
tables Of different kinds at intervals over tho
same soil dlscourages their propagation and nr-
resta their progress. When. says Jacques
Valaerros, d French writer on the subject, aftor
csreal, another vegetable with different para-
aites aa for instance tho boot. III planted, the
paraaitos peculiar to the preceding arc de-
atroyed. Side BY side with an Injurious species OF
plant tta paraaites aro always found, When the
species itself multipncs beyond measure, tho
parasites increase in greator proportion, till they
restore tho species to ita duo bounds.
The natural history of insects injurious to
vegetation is not yet very far advanced. Nat
uraliats, thus fur, have only named and classi-
fed them. They havo not studied their habits
or their transformations to any very greut ex-
tont; and, until such time as this is done, the
evil from which Minnesota ia suffering must ro-
maiu ONO which may return ut any time. 4
great deal Of attention ia being paid to tho
subject Of agricultural insectology in France,
Germany, aud this country ct tho present time.
Slinnesota can do no better than loarn all slo
:an on tho subject from tho Bureau Of Entomol-
'gy at Washington, and from similar institu-
ions In Germany.