The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-09-03
LETTER from GRAHAM LAKE

LETTER FROM GRAHAM LAKES
{. EDITOR ADVANCE: am gratilied
to learn that an interest is being mani
tested in other localities for the preSer-
walton of the prairie grass. and that we
may be able to burn up those pests that
constitute the only hfnderancea to sue
cessful farming operations iii this coun-
try. This township has suffered about
as severely from grasshoPper visitation
this year, rs any town within the raw
aged districts Our oats and beans
were entire failures, but in many i'll
stances the wheat is being cut; and it is
thought will generally pay something
above the expense of cutting, whilst an
occasional field bids fair to yield 4 half
q crop. Our corn which had not yet
silked or. tasselled when the hoppers
left, is coming out finely, and with 4
late fall will yield a full crop. Early
potatoes are generally good, and many
Of the late potatoes which were not too
badly damaged, will turn out well. The
settlers have full faith in getting
through the winter, but are extremely
distrustful of farming operations next
season. What seems most necessary
just now, is to put Oh foot some meas
ures to effectually destroy the pests
directly after Matching time next spring.
Of all plans suggested to accomplish
this end, none can prove as thorough
and completely effectual as that of pre-
serving t he prairie intact and subject
ing the newly Matched h0rdes to the
tender mercies OF. a universal confiagra-
ton. Contrivances for catching those
which may be Matched on the fields can
be cheap!y gotten up, and the work of
destruction can be made complete.
The towns infested by the eggs should
adopt immediate measures to protect
their several boundary lines from the
encroacllment of fire from outside local.
tiles. A concerted action on the part
of all localities interested would instill
q confidence i'll next years operations
that would insure an extensive prepar.
ton OF the ground fer the seed this fall.
The universal testimony of Che settlers
is in favor of this country as one of the
richest and healthiest localities on the
continent, and it would be a shame for
the present inhabitants, after suffering
so many hardships, to be forced to
abandon their homes through the intlu-
ence of /. calamity that is simply Incl
dentul. For our part we would say
that we have visited the famous grain
growing districts in Washington Ter
ritory and the valleys of Oregon and
California, and Can bear truthful testi-
mOny that we never witnessed better
prospect for Il harvest of small grain
than obtained in this locality just pre-
vious to the recent visitation. Men
who last spring depended Oh the State
donation to finish out their compliment
OF seed grain, would have reaped, at
present prices, over $500 worth Of grain
if their crops had been left undisturbed,
and our town, SO bereft of all resource
through previous losses, would have
been able to have redeemed its chattels
from pending mortgages and secured
all the subsistence and seed the people
would have required the coming year.
Let us have concert of action at once
on THIS matter which is of such vital
Importance to us all. W..
GRAHAM LAKES, Aug. %, 1875.