The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-08-13
THE GRASSHOPPERS.

THE GRASSHOPPERS.
The plague Of grasshoppers is simply
one of the results Of disturbed bal
ance of the forces of nature.
Ordinarily the birds hold the insect
world in check the supply Of insect
food determines the multiplication Of
the birds, just as the abundance of food
resulting from civilization, determines
the rate of growth of the human family.
The marvellous and extraordinary in
crease Of the white race during the last
400 years. as compared with the sta
tionary condition of the darker and
barbarous races, depends on the pro.
cess of colonizing new lands and the i'm
mense food supplies resulting there
from.
The potato bugs owe their rapid in
crease to their poisonous nature, result
ing from the poisonous leaves on which
they feed; hence few living things will
eat them; hence they multiply
and spread over the land. Grad
ually however the few insects
that live npon them are increas-
ing with the abundant food supply ::
and in few years, it is to be hoped.
they will be able to hold them in check
Darwin calculated that if seed of
any one plant was left entirely undis-
turbed. its seeds not destroyed by birds
or insects, and not crowded out bv
competing plants, in few years its
progeny would cover the habitable
globe. The development of the grass
hopper tribe is upon very much the
same principle.
They breed apon the great treeless
inter-continental plains. Where there
are no groves of trees there are few
insectiverous birds; for the groves are
necessary to the birds, both for food
and shelter from the fierce winds.
Hence there is nothing to interfere with
the increase Of the grasshoppers. II
then, we will suppose that each grass
hopper lays one hundred eggs. and that
there is nothing to destroy these, and
they come to maturity, and multiply at
the same ratio, then little calcula-
tiop will show that the progeny of one
grasshopper will in five years amount
to ten billions; and having eaten bare
the plains where they were born, they
flow over into the regions bordering the
forests; and in the language of the
Bible, while the country before them
is Garden of Eden, the land behind
them is desolate Wilderness
The farther the line Of the groves is
extended into the wilderness the farther
back will rccede the line of the grass
hoppcrs. We have shown that one of
these insects if undisturbed will become
in five years the parent Of ten billions:
therefore if some insectiverous bird had
snapped up that parental grasshopper
he would have swallowed the possibil.
ity of ten billion hoppers.
The number of insects devoured bv
birds is simply incalculable. One writer
upon this subject says:
1.-The poet Longfellow, in his legend OF
The Birds OF Killingw ORTIZ illustrates
with the clearness and simplicity o, truth,
IN poetic garb, the claims OF the feathered
| tribes, IN the case OF the Farmers VS. The
Birds. 1t is in the season when the purple
buds expand, the banners OF the vanguard
OF the SPRING
''The robin and the blue bird. piping loud
Filled all the blossoming orchards with then
glee;
The sparrows cbirped as if they still were
Their race in Holy Writ should mentioned
| And hungry crews, assembled in a crowd.
Clamored their piteous prayer necessarily
Knowing who hears the ravens cry, anc
said,
Give Us, 0 Lord, this day our daily bread y
The thrifty farmer heard with alarm tn,
cawing OF the crow,
"That mingled with the universal mirth.
and shook their heads and doomed st
swift destruction the whole race Of birds,
at town meeting, in soleme dignity conven
ed, presided over by the squire, with the co
operation OF the austere parson and the stii
deacon, Notwithstanding the protests OF ia
preceptor against decree OF banishmens Il
those
"Whose household words are SONGS in man,
keys
Sweeter than instrument of man e'e
caught,
Whose habitations in the tree tops, even,
Are hall way houses on the way to heaven
''You STAY them all and wherefore Pc
the gain
OF a scant handful, more or less, Of whea.
Or rye, or barley: or some other grain,
Scratched up a. random by industriou
feet,
Searching for worm or weevil, after rain
Or few cherries. that are not so sweet
As are the songs these unlimited guests
Sing at their feasts with comfortable breasts
But the farmers are memorable; they pre-
ferred the discord of the locus. TO the mus
OF the lark, and decreed the death OF tn
birds, awarding a special bounty for tn
head of crow A very St. Bartholomew {
, | I. l.