The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-05-27
THE GRASSHOPPERS.


THE GRASSHOPPERS.
They Are Again Appearing in Great Num-
bers-Portlons of Minnesota, Kansas and
Nebraska Being Again Eaten Up by
Them.
(From the Chicago Tribunel
Painful reports come to us from many
sources concerning the reappearance of
the grasshoppers, and the apprehension
daily grows stronger that these pests will
again destroy the crops in several sec
tions of the West.
SOUTHWESTERN MISSOURI.
DR.. Frazey, who returned last week
from a business visit to Southwestern
Missouri, reports to the Sioux City Jour
nal that " the young grasshoppers are
devouring everything green in that por-
ton of Missouri named. The people
are all panic-stricken. Cattle and horses
are dying by the hundreds from starva-
ton. They can find nothing to eat, not
even buds or leaves on the trees in the
woods. Everything has been eaten up
by tho pests, Merchants have refused
to credit men, who, two years ago, were
considered wealthy, ruined within the
past two years, and many of the mer-
chants are leaving that country with
their goods.
WESTERN KANSAS.
A lady writing from Western Kansas,
under date of April 10, says: 81 spent
the day at the farm last Thursday, and l
never saw so many grasshoppers In my
life. They are very smail-not quarter
of an inch long. The planks around our
hower-beds were completely covered with
them, and it was impossible to walk with
out killing them. Mammals rosebushes
and all the plants were stripped of every
leaf, and not blade Of grass was left.
The wheat is completely ruined. AS if
that were not bad enough, the chinch-
bugs are waiting for the corn to come
up. Papa says he has ten acres in, but
he don't think he will plant any more; it
is too discouraging.
ST. JOSEPH, MO.
Mr.. o. W. Fiskins and Mr.. Ebbrey,
who have just returned from Missouri,
state that in the neighborhood of st. Joe
millions of grasshoppers have made their
appearance, and are eating up every
thing. Mr.. Fiskins says they are now
as large rs a horse-fy, and quite spry.
In walking in the fields hundreds of
them rose before him; and so thick were
they that, by sweeping his hand through
the air, he could get as many as fifty at
single grab. This report is confirmed
| by Mr.. Ebbrey, who says that in some
sections he visited the hopper pests have
already devoured everything green.
MINNESOTA.
The st. Paul Press sent out reporter
specially to investigate the grasshopper
plague, and that paper of a recent date
prints the result of his inquiries. He
says: "In Minnesota, SO far as can be as
certained, the main depositing area is
now confined to portions of Brown,
Nicollet, Blue Earth, and LeSueur coun-
ties, but the eggs are found as far east
as Goodhue county, in such quantities
as to cause serious apprehension among
the farmers of that thriving locality.
&c Mr.. James Hughes, prominent and
very intelligent farmer residing in Nicol
let township, AYERS, from his observ
ations this spring, that the cocoons art
to be discovered in astonishing numbers
in localities, but that the larger proper
ton of those deposited in moist GROUND
have already been destroyed by natura
causes. But few are found in the cult
waited fields, while the implanted strips
adjacent to the fences reveal them IL
multitudes. On high or dry and sandy
soil the eggs have Matched (or are hatch
ing) in such numbers that the plaques o.
Egypt stand shadowed upon every knoll
and destruction and want seem booted
for ride over this country on thil
winged scourge, the locust of the plains
"In the immediate vicinity of st
Peter, and within the limits of the city
millions of the insects have emerged
from the cocoons which have shielded
them during the inclement winter.
"The Hon. G. L. Brown, formerl,
Surveyor General, speaking from per
sonal and careful observation, state
that the eggs are to be found in count
less numbers in the woods stretching
from st. Peter to Janesville, Wasec
county, a distance of about eighteel
miles, and the beaten ground along tn,
roadway is perforated to a greater ex
tent than is the more yielding and plan
earth at distance from the beatings o
, wheels or footballs of animals and man
kind.
NORTHWESTERN IOWA.
The Farmers Union learns that i
Northwestern Iowa, grasshoppers ar
Matching in millions, while in othe
sections the eggs appear to have bee
destroyed.
SOUTHERN KANSAS.
A gentleman writing from Souther
Kansas, says: "I fear this State wi
be again scourged by the grasshoppers
indeed, in many places, every gree
thing is already eaten up"
SOUTHWESTERN NEBRASKA.
Another report says: Southwestern
: Nebraska will again be destroyed. Alon
! the valley of the Republican, million
| of young grasshoppers have made thei
appearance, and millions are yet in th
ground to come out. This is too bat
} after the long and patient work of til
State Aid Society. fear all their labc
will be lost. Our farmers had gres
deal of seed sent them, and planted goo
: crops, only, as We dread, to feed OF
Egyptian foes"