The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-28
Assistant EntCmOlOgist Dodge on the
Destructive Pests.
THE LOCUST OF THE PAST.
The History, the FOOd and the Enemies Of
the Modern Insects
METHODS OF DESTROYING THEM.
Professor Taylor on the Uses Of
the Grasshopper.

WASHINGTON. June ~, 1875.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
For many weeks .hls destructive pest has oeen
topic Of absorbing interest to the people of the
whole country, and with all that has been written
on the subject or published in the columns OF the
newspapers, there is much that the intelligent
reading public desire to know concerning the in
sect. Tine daily press has furnished us with
graphic accounts or ts terrible rayages, and has
given US from day TO day reports by wire from In
vaded territory, but little has been said concern
Ing the history Of the insect, though there
many persons having little or no idea OF the kind
OF enemy with which Western farmers nave
TO contend beyond the mere fact that 1t Ii some
kind OF grasshopper
LoCUsTs IN HISTORY.
five go back 10 history for the first accounts OF
locust plaques must go back to Biole times,
and, indeed 1t was probably an old story even
tnen, Tor the accounts OF the terrible ravages OF
these devourmg armies in the pages OF Holy
Writ are as true pictures OF the of the last
lew weeks III our own country they doubtless
we're oil the terrible scourge IN Egypt Their dew
astatlons are recorded In tie history OF many
lions. from Bible times down 10 the present, and
the num0erless accounts oil their direful presence
In many parts OF Asia, Africa and Southern Europe
are only TOO wen authen tcatedn fact, the history
OF their ravages In the Ola World Is full and COM
plete. We have been speaking OF these insects
merely as "locusts,n without going into detail.
The locust OF the Old Word, however, differs very
much from those we are considering though the
general natural history is the same. fhe locust OF
scripture IS probably the Acr'idtun perg,'tauna
this insect Ia now found In Asia and Africa though
In Europe the devasttng or migratory species is
GdtpOdG nlfgrdtorid.
The earliest record OF locust injuries in Amer
ica is given by Mr. Riley as about the year 1882
when they visited Guatemala. The Jesuit mission
aries OF California have also left records OF vis-
tations In that State Tor numbers Of years be-
tween 1872 and 1895; and IN the present century
they are reported Ia the same state In 1927, 1929
1884, 1888, 1s40 and 1865, though In all probability
the insect In this instance IL direrent species
rom the one operating east OF the Rocky Noun
tans. The history Of the Red River settlements
according TO Mr.. J. W. Taylor, presents q similar
proportion OF years or suffering and exemption
the locusts having appeared In 1878 and lSl9 then
long interval 10 1857 aud 1858. then to 1884 and
1865, 1857 to 1870, and 1871 to 1s76the last seven
years having been peculiarly unfortunate. In
Minnesota, since It's settlement, tne years 1s5s-s7
1896, 1873 and 1s7a-5, are marked as grasshopper
years. II L. probable that all these early swarms
were more or less destructive In Kansas and the
northwest country at the same time. They APP
peared IN Texas In 1886 ana ISs0, anu Mr.. Taylor
In an article on the subject in one OF the Smith
aonian reports, names the year 1855 as d general
Rrasshopper year over the whole Western Cont.
nent, including parts OF Mexico ana Central
America. The years 1860 and 1867 were marked
locust years IN Kansas, Nebraska and adjacent
territory; In 1891 they were also very destructive
In Utah. Mr.. Walsh, who studied up the grass
hopper invasion or 1857, shows conclusvely that
alter the departure OF the grasshoppers that had
Matched from eggs deposited the previous year a
fresh host OF invaders descended upon the fertile
plains OF the Mississippi from the Rocky Mountains,
and az precisely the same period oi the year as in
the preceding one. The dates given are August
rs to September 90, wnlle the swarms Matched
nom eggs laid the year before matured ana took
wing at least forty-tWo days earlier.
For 1860, 1870 and 1872 and 1878 they agaia APP
peared, though the next locust year OF Importance
was last season, when, as your readers are wen
aware, hundreds OF homes were made desolate
farms were laid waste, and famine almost ensued;
and had not the widespread calamity proved a
national one and the sympathies OF the people
been enlisted untold suffering ana death would
have been the consequence. The damage inflicted
upon Cooraco, Nebraska. Kansas ana portions OF
Wyoming, DAKOTA Minnesota. Iowa, Missouri and
a few other States and Territories has been es-
tmated at nearly $50 600 600 Tor that season. when
there was a fresh invasion from the Rocky Noun
IaIns in addition to the hosts already present
from the eggs laid In 1873.
In 1875 they again appear, over the same terri
tory, the eggs deposited 10 1874 Matching out ~
me million, Notwithstanding The cold winter,
which seemed to encroach far into spring ana
until the present time they have teen ravaging
The country pretty much In the same manner as
asst year, though 1t has been hoped that early mi
Tration would yet give time LOT repanting and
Tor bountIfu crops
NATURAL HISTORY.
The Western migratory locust or ''haterul grass,
hopper" as It Is sometimes called ia an insect
measuring from an inca aud q quarter to an men
aud half In length from head TO TIP or wings
which extend over or beyond the abdomen from
an eighth TO q third OF an incr. A description Of
the Insect IL hardly necessary, as 1t very closely
resembles the common little red.legred grasshop.
per SO plentiful In fields ana meadows IN the sum.
mer and fall and known Ia scienuac parIancs az
caloDtenus JeDlu,-rl0run1, tue principal difference
being the lengta OF wings. In fact, the Western
migratory species belongs TO the same genus and
ls named Calopteaus sprefus. AZ there are many
other Rrasshoppers found In the region inhabited
by these insects It IS rot Mt all uncommon for
Eastern iriendsu to receive monstroua samples
o. hoppers as the destructive species, and We
have even received by mail verg large species be.
longing to q group taat never have wings. and
therefore cannot be migratory, a. specimens OF
the KIND o. insects that are devouring ne land.
What they lack in size, however. they make - In
numbers, and persons that never have seen
visitation can form no icea OF the extent OF
their swarnls. Gnd would hardly credit the state.
ment that they mad been seen drited against
grain shed three feet deep.
or their Rocky Mountain history nothing OF i'm
portance Is known Tney do live In the noun.
ians, however. am found far uD tue peaks.
sven to the snow range. where they had been
:aught IN attempting 70 ny over. have been in
iormed tnat these Insects may lie frozen sttn,
THAT they may be broken like pipe stem, yet their
fellows 10 the sane situation can be thawed out
sLo Ia short time wiil'De as lively as ever
the manner in whlca they deposit tbcr eggs Is
~ follows THE female with the oUpositor at the
end Of her abdomen, forms a mole ia the SOIL gen
orally about an inch deep the horn-ike tips
enabling ner 70 90 this by sort OF drilling pro-
cess IN a short space OF time, usually but lew
minutes The insect prefers bare sandy places or