South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-05-28
Letter from Missouri.
LExrNorox. Mo. Nav 20. 1s7!

LEXINGTON, NO., May ~, 1879.
MAJoR HARPER Here / am again
with my tiresome stories OF those pests.
the grasshoppers. They are all the sub
ject Of conversation. Well they may be,
for they have been unremitting in their
operations, L see by some OF the cas-
tern papers, That it Is said that there are
no grasshoppersi in Missouri and through
ont the West. What a mistake They
are now upon US and it is prophesied
that there will not he green twig or
blade OF grass left in fourishing con-
dition. Is this not terrible TO think OFF
Yet, IL is so and we have 10 realize our
terrible situation. There is nothing
whatever that has the least effect upon
these pests. They are wonderfully strong.
For instance, gentleman, residing in
the suberbs Of this city, caught large
number Of them and put them in large
vessel containing water and then subec-
ted them to heavy pressure, thus ex-
Guiding all supplies OF air. He kept
them there during two hours and then
took them out. 1t was discovered that
it had not the least effect upon them. Is
this not strange? And the GOODNESS OF
winter had no effect whatever upon their
eggs which were deposited about inch
under the surface 1 was in the country
few weeks ago, had not, before that
time. believed tie reports which were
circulated in regard to the damage which
they could do and were actually doing
A gentleman and myself went into n
neighbering wheat field to look for grass
hopper-eggs. We found them without
g..
the rain had already washed them, lin
the wheat fields,) nearly to the top ofthe
ground. We then took them from small
clods and exposed them for from 10 to
25 minutes and out would come the
young grasshopper and sit on the clod
for few moments and then fiy away 10
join the inpumerable host Matched before
himself We then took large burning
glass, otherwise sun-glass, and put one
of the eggs under the focus. In almost
no time the egg would pop as il grain
of gunpowder were under the glass;
Now, does this not. evidently show that
there is only little heat or exposure to
the sun necessary to hatch them? This,
Major, is the resume of the whole thing.
Everybody knows how they devastated
Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska, 1t is
merely in the prime now of what is to
be. They are now eating the young
corn, hardly leaving even the roots be-
hind them. There is no hope of crop
of any kind.
Three-fourths Of the citizens of this
County are idle. Thoroughly discour-
aged, they turn from the pillow and are
not putting in crops for fear of the grass.
hoppers. There are about one.third of
the people ceTy destitute of provisions.
Everybody that cop get away is getting
away from here And, Illinois will also,
1t Ia believed, in 4 short time, have the
hoppers upon them. There has been
great rush from here to California
Great trains of movers are continually
on the tramp backwards and forwards.
The majority of those who have ever been
TO California say it is a good country,
but very much crowded and two-thirds
of them always como back. The value
of real estate here is worth literally
nothing. y house and coal mine adjoin-
ing worth, at least, 5000 dollars was
sold at auction for just 500. There
was n mortgage on it and, of course. it
had to be sold. And this is only one
in dozens Of others which come before
me. After the grasshoppers do all the
damage they can, / will write and give
you full account of it. More anon.
Ever yours, +. NJ. S.