The Ottawa free trader., 1875-05-22
rur CHRISTOPHER sCoURGE.

| T,o ronorts of Grasshopper invasions in
Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri Tor the last
week have happily supplied the big city dai'
,;os with abundant matter for sensational
head;ncs to take the place left vacant by the
Temporary lull in the Brooklyn scandal. The
reports, however, in most cases, hardly came
ND in the text to the "thunder in the index
This is a: least true in reference to Nebraska
in which the scourge thus far has touched
but two or three counties Richard
son, and one or two others, and here 'he -i"'
oeytiser, published at Nemaha, says 'he
wheat fields in that region were a''acAeu py
the little pests, and eaten off clean 10 inc
ground; but that the grain has sprung up
again and appears to be unnjured' nc ti"'
| reyfiser recommends to farmers not to be ais
couraged TO the extent of plowing up their
wheat fiells, that have been visited by these
pests, until they are sure that the power oi ie'
cupera,lon does not exist. And so II may W
generally stated of Nebraska, thai the grass
hoppers have reappeared in those portions oil
the state where they disappeared last season
that they have already destroyed some fields
of early planted small grain; that they arc
rapidly disappearing before the cold weather
of This backward spring and that the daih
ace to be apprehended from them IS very
slight. -,
In Kansas the case is more serious. Inc
hoppers have appeared in overwhelming mum
hers in most of the counties i'll eastern nan
sas along the Missouri river from Leaven
worth down They are, however, almost en-
trely confined to low ground and the Viclh
Iity:of timber, being comparatively scarce on
the high prairies. Some farmers report their
winter wheat ruined, while Others say that
none of their crops have been greatly inJur
ed. In some places the young corn Is being
cut down AS fast as 1t appears above grouhu
while in other localities close by corn has
suffered no damage. In some localities in
Olathe and aacent counties they have en-
trely taken the oats and flax, but have taken
but little wheat as yet They are eating corn,
but 1t is thought they will soon leave II and II
will come up again. Fields OF clover anu
timothy have suffered, and should dry wealth
er set in many fields of timothy would DC
killed. They have done great damage TO
small fruit, and in the gardens. The recent
heavy rains have done them no harm. Many
of the farmers are driving them into trenches
The region where the alarm has assumed
the form of raging panic is in Western Mis-
souri, Here the scourge is something entire
ly new, and the people stand aghast at Its
fearful ravages In Cass, Lafayette, and John
son counties, where the swarms coming cast
ward from Kansas arrivedJust in time to lay
their eggs and be cut down by the fall irosts,
they have hatched out in incomprehensl6lc
quantities, and are spreading all over the
state, literally devouring every green thing in
their way. Wheat fields are left bare as a
plowed field The gardens are stripped OF
everything. Even the bluegrass pastures, In
which that part of Missouri abounds, are
gone over and cropped even with the ground.
The farmers of the stricken counties have
fought the pests in every way AT meeting
held in the southern part of Jackson county,
las. week, one farmer reported that he had
ditched and destroyed one hundred and twen,
ty bushels of grasshoppers in three days
work but tie war makes no apparent effect
upon the countless swarms, and they seem to
increase in discouraging proportion to the
destruction. Many of the farmers i'll the
stricken counties are utterly hopeless. The
cattle and horses are collected in herds and
droyes and driven southwest 20 Arkansas and
tie Indian Nation for pasturage. Missouri
ls likely to feel the necessity of going deep
INTO the state treasury to keep her unfortunate
people from starvation, long before cold
weather comes There seems now no other
prospect than that the state Will be complete
| " overrun, and the swarmS may be expected
to reach Southern Illinois between the Goth
and 30th Of July.
The Governor of Missouri, deriving no con.
ISOLATION from an appeal to Prof. Riley, the state
entomologis,, has appointed Thursday, June
Sd, as a day of fasting and prayer, being sat
isfied, he says, that Nothing but the inter.
position of Providence can save us from the
pest" and he urges that the supplications OF
the people be raised for divine relief and
protection and indeed the piety of the Gov
ernor is already yielding hopeful token OF
proving available, for 1T is reported irem
some sectlon. of Missouri and Kansas that a
small parasite is engaged in the very laudable
occupation of killing the grasshobpers. Thai
parasite deserves to be encouraged, H'
should have o pension at once, and u roya
decree should be issued giving IT th'
! freedom of the whole country.
A ST. LOUIS SENSATION.
The Mayor elected in st. Louis this sprinl
having died, special election was held las