Connecticut western news., 1875-06-04
Grasshoppers Ina Kansas.

Mir. Henry Landon, formerly of Falls Village, but now living in Kansas, writes as follows concerning the grasshoppers in that state: --.- -.--
 "We are having beautiful weather, and everything has looked very flourishing here until within the last two weeks we have the same old story to tell from Kansas: all Is desolation. The young grasshoppers commenced to hatch out early in the spring, but we gave ourselves no uneasi- ness about them, hoping that our crops might be spared from destruction but two weeks since they gathered in flocks and swept everything clean before them, and we are doomed to trouble and disappoint- ment. will give you description of my farm 90 you can form some idea of their ravages. I had 2s acres of tame grass, 15 acres of timothy, clover and blue grass, mixed for pasture; eight acres of timothy and red top for meadow; 12 acres of oats from six to eight inches high. Ihave been over my farm to-day, and the ground is as bare as the middle of the road they even take roots and all !; the air smells as if one had been moving quantity of green grain and it had lain and rotted the whole air is unwholesome with the stench. My broth CT at home had sent me a box of fine gar den seeds from Briggs 6 Bros., Rochester, and never had finer prospect for beau- ful garden than this spring last Thursday the 'hoppers made their appearance on it, and to-day (Monday) there are no more signs of vegetation on it than on your kitchen floor. I had 3-4 of an acre of early rose potatoes; they were hood through the second time, were budded to blow, but they are entirely eaten up. have in 50 acres of corn, worked over the second time they eat it down every day. During the night it starts, SO early in the morning ! can discern the rows, but by 10 o'clock A. M. they are invisible, and suppose there will rot be vestige left, The grasshop pers now are about one-third grown, and are so numerous that when they settle al night they cover acres of ground just as thickly as you eyer saw swarm of bees al home. When they move, it is like the waves of the sea, the whole surface of tho { earth seems to be in motion. All our eff forts to destroy them seem to be useless Whole neighborhoods act together, dig ditches in many cases mile long; drive them in and kill hundreds of bushels o them. We have tired heavy rollers, bu they are not like the common grasshopper they are so quick It is almost impossible to step on one. All our efforts to destroy them only disappoint us; they seem to in- crease every cay. They are spread over section of country here about l50 mile wide and TOO miles long, and will have t' stay here till they get wings to fly, and b, that time there will not be bit of folisg or vegetation left. On some farms the, have eaten the leaves, and now arc taking the bark off the fruit trees. Everybod! who can is leaving the country, but ther are some who cannot do so without becom ing beggars. Seed corn is now selling a $500 per bushel. have IF hogs hay, fed on corn at 75 to soc per bushel since last September, and to day could not sel them for $l.O0 apiece. Nothing but mir acle will save us now, for next year it vii cost man four times as much to live her' as it has the last.
 Vinland. Kansas. May 23rd, l875