Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-02-11
ABOUT GRASsH0PPERs.
"here they Live-How they swarm and how
they ny uutii they're Weary What they do
Neu-Whst they Eat AID what they Don't
relish Onions will draw Grateful Tear from
The Grasshopper Rye.

1 ~ fS'SOu 10 w tuO III
migration Bureau of Nebraska, one
OF the states ravsged in part by the
grasshopper, has led me to inquire
into the history aud peculiar habits
OF these destructive insects.
| have consulted many persons
who have given the subject much
attention tor many years. TIL
statement and opinions of these
numerous persons do not entirely
harmonize. but they agree substan-
lis y in the most important respects.
The abiding home of the grass
hooper is found on the high, dry
plateaus of New Mexico and Arizona,
and the southern foothills of the
Rocky Mountains. There they are
always, for it is their congenial home
ln some seasons, especially adapted
to this end, they multiply with as
tonishing rapidity and become too
numerous to subsist.
Then, like bees, they swarm and
migrate to other countries. They
follow no rule of emigration, but go
with the wind. They fly until they
become weary and hungry, and then
drop down to rest and eat. They
do not al go at once nor to one place
They become widely separated and
much divided after starting; but in
almost any case, whether the grand
army orsf me principal detachment,
0E
myriads of millions. Coming in
the distance they look like a light
cloud rapidly riding on the wind,
and under the bl4zing MONDAY sun
they glitter like snowfakes, extend
ing from near the ground to the
height of half mile. but cast a
gloomy shadow on the earth. When
they drop down to feed, every green
and gay thing is covered 10 . mo-
ment, and the earth is gay and dis
maI. Dolly few things do they
relish-as Sorghum, broom corn and
the peach. Wheat and oats, when
the straw or grai1 is green, are de-
voured in q few hours.
When the straw or gain is snme-
what dry an tough, they eat off the
stem just below the head, and the
grain falls to the ground.
Corn is their staple, they go for
the tassel and silk Gf these are out)
then the tender grains seramtling
and crowding each other like hum
cry pigs. They are very tond of
potatoes, beans and cabbage; but
onions are their most delicious NOR
sel-they viii dig into the ground
for the last particle.
Usually they remain not more than
"a 10 As hours in q place, if the
weather IL warm and the SKY clear;
but som etimes a week, if the air is
chilly and very damp, aud the sky
cloudy. After leaving their native
home, they have never been known
to propagate in their colonies more
than three years, and that but twice
in the history of the Unlted States.
Somewhat more frequently they
have been known 10 batch during
the second year. But out of twenty
swarms, this has happened only
three times. In other cases they
have ended their existence and their
race in any given place. in one year
OF those which invaded Nebraska
this year, 1874. the first swarm laid
eggs in several counties; but the
long, dry fall hatched them out and
thus stopped further production.
The swarm that came last seemed
to have been Matched too far north,
and too tie in the season to come to
maturity, and consequently laid no
eggs. All these persisted in the first
frosts.
1t will be several years before
their native land will be over crowd
ed, and when they rise up to migrate
they will be as likely to 60 in one
direction as another.
From extensive correspondence 10
Nebraska, Kansas. Iowa and Mime
sofa, it is ascertained that no eggs
have been LAID that will hatch next
spring except 10 part of one county
10 Kansas.
Ever since the year 1919 the plains
have been travelled over constantly
and the movements of this Desert
Locust, as it shoult be call4d, have
been noted. In all this time there
has been no such devastation as this
year, nor is it likely that there will
be a re-occurrence of this calamity
for many yeare, and let US hope
never.
The number of persons made des
titute and dependent on aid from
abroad for the neyt six or eight
months is not very fully ascertained.
But for the last two or three years
there has been heavy tide of imm'-
grafton to the interior and frontier
OF this fair state, where millions OF
rich acres have been awaiting the
brave pioneer. and the number who
must be helped or suff'r actua'
hunger and uakedness wilt probably
he found to be between 1000 and
10 900. To sll these the State Aid
Society will issue an allowance OF
food for about 200 days. CT thing
also sufficient to prevent suffering
will be 4dicinu<ly bestowed through
the same efficient and wstchful agen-
cy, and seed to plant the smitten dis
trict will be furnished either by the
state or nation. or both, and oe
equitsbly distributed, when this
calamity W Il be overpast, and Ne
hraska be herself again.
.W A good looking house girl, en-
ployed in q family in Detroit, received
a pi esens of a muff the other day, and
in day or two after the lady of the
house discovered a receipted bill in
her husbands desk, reading: "Fol
one muff-s2o." She hadn't had 9
new mnff, and when the man came
home to supper that night the old CIR
was gone and new one was wrest