The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-06-05
GEASSHOPPER RUIN.

GRASSHOPPER RUIN.
The Whole Northwest Threatened
Ee.ehea by the vsnsanrd OF tine ef De
| stroyers.
| Chicago Tribune
The great army of grasshoppers tina
poured it's vast multitudes over tn
| northwest last summer reached far il
this direction. the van penetrating n
far as Vincennes, although not in suffi
cient force to make any general devas
tatlon. An irregular triangle, will
that for its apex and the Rocky Noun
tains for its base, would include tn,
territory thus far swept far over by til,
victorious pest, including large portions
| OF Kansas and Missouri, and almost al
of Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa and Da
! kota. The question which Row agitates
! the commercial interests of the country
is, can the grasshopper be kept within
that territory, or will they, as some
| predict, overrun Canada, Northern
New York and the Eastern States? II
is held that in thickly settled parts oil
the country, where smalls farm abound
there can be no great danger from
them. as the birds and domestic fowls
will keep down their numbers, but if
tho invasion is made by such over
whelmipg hosts as defeated all meas
ures of protection last summer, such
instrumentalities will have little eff
cheney at first, however powerfully they
may thin their ranks in course of time.
And even in the event of the advancing
plague being successfully stayed in its
progress east, it can hardly be expected
that Illinois, lying as it does on the
border line, and already partially in
vaded. will escape the attack of vora-
cious legions, if the vast hordes of
grasshoppers shall issue forth again.
The intense cold of last winter and the
protracted frosts of the spring have
been relied upon by the agricultural
community to effectually rid them of
this plague. As late as the last day of
April there was a severe freeze. doing
much damage to fruit, but which was
borne with cheerfulness as being sure
death to the grasshoppers. Now the
report comes that in Southwestern Mis-
souri, "the young grasshoppers are de-
vouring everything green. The people
are panic-stricken. Cattle and horses
is being eaten by the pests" Similar
news comes from Southern and West
ern Kansas, and large sections of Min
nesota, Iowa and Nebraska are declared
to be doomed. In the southwestern
portion of the latter state, they are
already swarming out by the million.
with millions yet in the ground. All
this, and only two weeks since frost.
With the cessation of the cold rains
and the increasing warmth of the sun,
it is to be expected that the millions of
eggs in the ground will send forth their
myriad swarms. and the invasion of the
grasshoppers begin. In that case it
can hardly be hoped that Chicago will
escape a visitation. Already the pre-
signs have appeared. The
warmth of the SUN during the past week
has had the effect of causing the APP
pearance of young grasshoppers in the
southern sections of this city, on the
Hyde Park line, and, although at
present in a state of inactive torpor,
the establishment of warm weather will
send them scnrryine through the air,
their numbers rapidly increasing, until
The vast and compac' host of the main
army joins them.
The so-called grasshoppers that have
been the plsgne of the west are really a
species of locust, and have all the vora-
,ious appetite and omniverous taste of
The genuine African locuste. Instead
Of proceeding by jumps like the COM
mon grasshopper. these locusts go long
distances in the air, flying and borne BY
he wind. They move along at height
If from 80 to 100 yards above the
and extending upward as far as
he eye can reach. These flying swarms
ire described as looking like great banks
IF snow when illuminated by the sun
shine, and again like clouds tossing and
,ol1ing in a strong wind. When making |
heir descent upon the country, and I'M
Ter impulsion from the wind, they rat
lie against the window-panes like hail,
md beat against the face of whatsoever
nay be out at the time, descending in
uch myriads that it would be as i'm
possible to escape their contact as it
vould be to avoid being rained on when
nut in q shower. The conclusion of
heir million of wings on the air make
whizzing roar, plainly heard as they
" overhead. IT. is this ability to make
ong and high flights that bids fair to
make them such a pest in Chicago.
They fly with the wind and without in
disqualification; dropping, after fight
# few hours, on any place they may
lappen to be over, whether land or water,
own or country. and attack destruct-
vely whatever they can. The country
8 stripped bare of green and living
hings cattle, and even human beings,
lie of starvation. Gen. Ord, com
banding the military department of the
'latte, last fall reported that the bodies
4 people who died of starvation were
ound by his men in their marches,
nd men and women were discovered
hose only means of subsistence for
avs was clothing, which they gnawed
t like rats. Had it not been for the
forts of the charitable all over the
ountry, thousands whose crops had
cen destroyed by this pest would have
tarved to death last winter.