New-York tribune., 1874-08-01
THE PLAGUE OF LOCUS rs.
A CHEERFUL VIEW OF CHRISTOPHER RAIDS.

FULLY FOUGHI-IlS VISITS 10 tIAJi, CALi-
FoRNIA, MONTANA, AND IDAHO.
lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUSEl
GREELEY, Col, July 20.-The locust of the
East and Of ancient times the the crashopper
OF day One would almost think that while parts OF
Minnesota and Iowa are ravaged Dy this pest that it
something entirely that it makes calamity
not likely 10 be repeated and that therefore they VINO
lose their crops ought 10 be assisted by the state and by
the charably disposed. We who know what grlsshop-
pers are. VINO have wntcred aHd summcred with them,
and who have them with less every year,
look upon the visitation of Minnesota "a natural event
unworthy OF especial remark and certainly not worthy
of the great attention given TO the matter Colorado
has been settled Is years and during this time
the erashoppers have appeared at least seven years.
sometimes coming year after another, anu then
skipping two three and four year.. though perhaps
there has been year In which thcy have not visited
few sections. grasshopper year is properly one
o wide vlsitaton-:hat is. when he is TO DC found IN
every valley still, there Is never time when some
farms do escape and when parts of some fields are
untouched.
THE LIFE AND DEATH or THE GRASsHoPpER.
Last year when they made a clean sweep. but
it did not to make fuss about It, nor to ask
assistance from anybody. 50 far l understand it,
grasshOpper year requires part of the previous year
for preparation. That is the fall grown bird comes in
September or October, about the time corn IL ripe
IN vast bodies aghts in gardens and green pas
tures, and forthwith goes 10 eating The progress OF
destruction is at first slow the leaves OF turp5 and the
tops onions are first devoured; then they
begin to nbble at the bulbs and eating away every day
and seeming to grow more hungry, they eat down into
the ground and have had the inside Of turnps weigh
Ing three or four pounds entirely eaten ont leaving
only the she'll The outside leaves of cabbage are eaten
first then they burrow into the head, aud finally tbs
whole is consumed. The best thing for the honest
farmer to do to harvest his whether mature or
not strip his fields bare for that Ia their destiny
The grasshopper has intention, however, OF leaving
He to stay and TO conquer, taking all Sumner
ana Fall. One would suppose that after hard
frost he would wlther and die, but II has no
effect him, he crawls under slight shelter
and when the bright and warm he IL
as lively as ever When the snow Of November comes,
aud the Zng nights appear he far from being con-
quered and bright days he around festive aud gay
but at last he withers away probably more from his old
age than from any adverse climatic condition. Mean
while he, likely she, has been laying the fonnda-
on Of other and popuous nations by laying eggs
which almost always is in light sandy soil and on the
southern side of burrows sandy slope; OF bluffs on the
plains though generally the visitation is to cultivated
fields the broad desoate plains being neglected, The
so laid injured by frost and they may be
said to be ndestructbe But it Is not difficult to turn
them under with the pow so deep that the suns heat
will not reach hem when they fail 10 hatch; or II part
of them do II will be so late in the that harm
will he done. This good remedy, and 1t Is generally
pracced by the best farmers so that the young grass
hopper will trouble that ied since before lie gets
big enough to fly he travel far aud when he can
fly he IL so proud OF his wings that lie
leaves the county on them. IL is impracticabe.
however, to plow all the ground where eggs
are deposited, and impossible to destroy the young
brood which c)mes out with warm weather In Spring
When from his she'll all the dust Of the ground
seems TO be in crawling or moving state close oD-
servato reveals the terrible truth that the grashOpper
is born and will soon be ready for business. As he
grows he eats course and whatever he can seize Is
eaten so that new Spring grain, and almost every kind
of garden vegetables tender thrifty and full or prom
ise, fall before him. little may be saved by sweeping
him away, though thousands are likely 20 crowd in
and where water ia abun liant he is swept into the
ditches and noated down to the next neighbor. One
migh think could be drowned, but not so; he takes
to water like duck. Winrows OF straw excellent,
for when few thousand millions OF them are driven
into It aud match applied that is the end OF many,
and whole fields OF grain have been saved IN this way
and at no great expense either The majority OF farmers
however give up there il too much bother IN hIhting
them and they are permitted to eat and grow and get
wings.
Near the last stage OF this eventful history they begin
to crawl lively generally towards the South ana they
make quarter of mile day, next, fine progress by
ying a ittle nd in a day their wings became
SO well developed that they take start-sart alto-
cether rs If by the word Of command ana Ill day'
sometimes in few hours they are all gone ana every
body gives a sigh OF relief Tle season VIII he no" wen
say the 20h Of June to the loh OF Juy
and some few crops certainly can be grown such as
wheat and turnps But the ground Will have be-
come SO dry. the hot, that seed Will start
with great difficulty and besides the days are past
when men are possessed with sort OF fcyersh enter
prse for planting; davs of inactivity and submission
have taken off the edge Of enterprise, and little or
nothing Is DONE When they are all gone the destruction
will be seen complete. The flowers and roses VIII
he eaten into the ground and although carpets ana
boards may have been laid favorite plants, they
will he found to have afforded no protection. Rose
huahe are saved by placing them headess barrels
and then putting a netting across the top. Florists
stocks unless under glass are pretty generally used up
hut small fruits only have the fruit buds eaten whie
t, trees are uniniured AT Salt Lake the florists fire.
ouently lose all their budding plants IN open grounds
and the apple trees dreadfuly mutilated by the
erasshoppers, still the trees are wonderfully thrifty
and there no better fruit county in the world though
t the first ten years all kinds of trees lived with the
greatest difficulty.
HOW THE PRsT MAY BIZ FOUGHT.
The first point to give IN growing anything IN dry
countries where irrigation s necessary IL 10 nave the
roots of plants well established after that they
suryiye the attacks OF enemy. SO here as TOT
instance with clover had hhe piece t"o years ago.
and last year the grasshoppers eat down so close that
last Fall and even early this Spring. scarcely sign OF
rs existence 10 be detected but now IL mas cohe Oh
ao vonderfully 1t is the best piece ever saw, and
,,ouob small one say I5O by 60 feet COW cannot eat
- fast "a II grows and IL would probably keep span
n, borses but as it is easier TO turn the STOCK on tue
range and as hay is be had easily by cutting Win
mower this clover growing up into sort oi swamp
as any may see
One might think that the grasshopper would totally
de vastate country. Not all 1t Is true that eaueh
vegetables proper were 60 generally cleared ou' u
-. or. to no had this Spring at less than cents