New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-25

raceved hero s+ate that no insects have appeared
this year at Manhattan Kansas, nor, 30 iaI ~ !"
known west of that place or WaterViiie' ioV . '
west of Atcbison there no tldngs OF general us
aster as yet from tho more easteriy counties III ''
State reached by tho invasion of last year. Inc only
count;es irons which reports come of general devas-
tations this year portion of Vernon, Bates,
Cass. Jackson, Clay. Platte, Buchanan Andrew, and
portions of Johnson, Lafayette, Ray, Clinton, and
Holt But the invasion of last year extended
through the whole OF portions OF 81 other counties
lying eastward OF southward of those named, in
which, if any insects have this year appeared it has
not been as yet reported
Thus the region in this State in which the insects
have appeared embraces only full counties on
the western border from Andrew to Bates inclusive,
and adjoining parts of six other counties. In the
north little damage is reported in Holt; in Clinton
the most oasery point reached is Grayson, 70 miles
from Leavepworth; from Ray there are no definite
reports; "hear Lexington" Is the most easteriy
point of reported devastation in Lafayette; about
Warrcnsburg fields have been destroyed in Johnson;
aud only the northern portion of Vernon is known to
be infested. In Kansas the most southerly point OF
known destruction is near Fort Scott, and line
thence to Watcrville, cutting off the northeastern
corner of the State forms limit beyond which to
the westward reliable reports state that general
injury has been DONE 1t is quite probable however.
tiles in the southeastern portion Of the State. But
an IRREGULAR belt not more than 100 miles wide,
from Wa:ervlle Kansas. to Savannah, Missouri, and
thus tapping over the border and extending httie
more than 100 miles from north to south, embraces
all the points at which the devastation is known TO
he serious.
Within that area, moreover the injury is very
variable Almost every report speaks of destruction
Gin some places" within county or neighborhood
fbp dow +at is Others
not far distant entirely escape. The eggs of the
locust are never deposited in low wet ground, but
on frm drv and elevated spots. The long, hard
Winter killed all the eggs in some situations, but
not in others. Millions of eggs were destroyed by
blowing il he FALL or before the frosts late
in ApIil Millions of insects Matched in favorable
spots in Aprl, were destroyed by the subsequent
severe frOs. Thus the spots from which destroying
insects finally come are comparatively rare and the
young insects being wingcss rs yet have very lin
tied powers of 1ocomotion, cannot cross streams
avoid low, wet ground, and suffer greatly from
storms of which there have been several of late.
Hence il il natural that the destruction should be,
as everywhere reported, by no means extended over
awhole ncighborhood, but mainly confined to GER
tain tracts
Winter wheat except in few instances, was so far
advanced as to escape and the young insects have
been able to eat only the very late and tender corn
Spring whcat. Otner grains, mdHy vegetables,
plants shrubs and grass, they 9evour with fearful
yoracty Pointing TO a paved street, one gentleman
said "Inthrce days my best grassland was stripped
es hare as that pavement" The locustS even bore
into The ground devouring the roots of plants. I'm
abo to hy they have not stripped the trees as the
full-grown locUsts do, but they are bad enough at
best. On the whole, however, there is reason to
hope that the injury will be slight compared with
that of last year. when it is roughly estimated that
property worth about $5OOOO,OOO was destroyed.
Some farmers will lose severely but the devastation
is by no means as general, even within the much
more limited area affected. The general panic has
tjnred nearly all reports. The few who have suf-
fered make il known; the many who only dread,
but have as vet lost little nothing, naturally
make known the losses of Others. But the devasta
ton would indeed be terrible, if it should continue
long
The best Of the news is that the climate and the
parasites have done their fatal work. suspect that
tho severe changes and excessive rainfall of our
climate at this are the most fatal features.
Adapted by nature to even, very early and very
dry Spring the insects grow weaker every day in
this region and soon begin to perish. In Buchanan
County one man shoveled up Is bushels from along
side fence. which the creatures crawled to
escape the wet. At Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas,
they are perishing rapidly and is reported that
they are dying everywhere in tho southern part OF
that State This evening, dispatches from Atchson
state that the territory occupied in Kansas is grow
Ing narrower 1.-The hoppers going eastward" As
they cannot 90 far without wings, but can and do
die this news is good. few days ago they were
plentiful at Waterville 100 miles west but the latest
dispatches from Atchison say that they now reach
about 40 miles west and 20 miles north" of that
place. In Buchanan and Cass Counties, Missouri,
they have also begun TO disappear.
Many artificial means for getting rid of the insects
have been tried, but none of them has proved very
successful. What man is powerless to do for him
SELF however, his allies, the birds beasts, reptiles,
and parasitic insects do for him in the extrpation of
these pests Chickens, turkeys, and hogs devour the
ocusts in great quantities; many kinds OF birds not
only slaughter the insects but hunt for their eggs In
the ground and toads frogs and snakes feast upon
them. But more elective than these or all other
agencies of destruction, except the climate, Prof
Riley considers the parasitic insects several Of which
he describes OF these. sO.Ne eat the eggs; others
fasten upon tho living body and suck it to dry
shell and Others pierce the bodies of the locuss and
deposit therein eggs which speedily develop into
rrubs The locust dies, and the grub, in few days,
Is full grown fly, ready to lay lis share OF fatal
eggs. Attacked by all these enemies and enfeebled
by the climate the vast swarms OF ocusts, so nnner-
Dis at first as TO frequently Impede or stop railroad
trains by th"r crushed bodies speedily vanish from
the earth. What thcn can the far less numerous
and more Sicky Young expect, when, cut OH from re-
endorsements they have TO meet al these destroying
agencies in the Spring! From Bourbon County,
Kansas news comes that some kind Ot insect has
destroyed INC grasshoppeIs as they ne dead III
heaps on NE roa4slde IN JsHersGn (GGnmty
In his locality. Ii would not be ut all surprising if
the plague slou'd everywhere be at an end before
any of the hupperS get wings but IN any case their
numbers mus by that time be vastly reduced by
natural enemies and by the climate.
Bat as vet n. Young insects hop south-eastwardly
rs their fathers few before them, and eat with
yoractv We, " of their siTes. Although, beng