The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1876-12-07

A letter IRON GresIy, Ooif fsdc, 10
the Spring 51eld republican. gIvss
On account Of the origin and habits
Of the grasshoppsr In that State II,
is now pretty we'll settled that they
originate In two widely sepsratsd
regions. First, for tho last four
years previous. to this, .thcy came
over aha Snowy. range, having a
southeastward course. and IL has
been presumed that their hstshinx
grounds were IN Salt Lake basin and
~ the sandy lowos and ridges of
western Colorado. Bat these regions
aro 80 vas, and Q, seldom visited
that no statement except of quite ?
general nature can be Depended up
on. and Gloss observation, through
several years will DO required to'ob-
tain the exact fact. They have alss
Matching ,erouois il Montana and
Idaho they ay eastward into the
Black Hills country and Dakota,
thence into Minnesota and Iowa.
while other svarms precipiinte them
selves upon Nebraska, Missouri and
Kansas. Thus they occupy, with
some iniermis.ion. ih, whole Of lth ,
vast region between the Sierra Nsva-
da, and tho Missouri river, IN area
Of 1890 miles sqiarc. The number
OF grassboppers seen to pass given
point, or which alights in a valley, is,
be yond conception. While flying
they are most distinctly seen about
noon. They OIL uspacs perhaps go
feet deep ani 20 miles broad, aud
they are usually from one hour to
two and q half iu pissing ; whon they
drop down in u valley they do ojust
before noon ;,st first, they aro what
se EN- to be . few snow-hakcs---thsir
whito wings aud slanting descens re-
sembling flakes Of snow ; presently
thoy COM e thicker and then thicker +;
often they strike on ,ne's face o.
hands like rapidly fsllin. bail, and
tbero have been many i!ues 10 the
csonons of tho Dou ntaius, on roads
Heading to mining towns. whore 4,
was necessary for teams to 81 into
camp by the wayside, ON account oi
the impossibIli,y Of driving tho hor-
ses. The object ofalightius IL, tha,
,hcy may rest or ob.ain food. 1t o.
pec,aIly weary, they lilo idly Tor lev
hours and then g. 20 eating. 1t hun
cry, they 20 to eating at once
Tho first appearance Of ayinl
grasshoppers in Colorado is taimos'
always in the latter part Of August
but, this year, they came on the hrs'
Of the month, and they we're extreIne.
ly hungry. more 80 than ever before
known. They stayed three days, and
during this timo they ato the leaves
Of co,ton-w wood trees, which usually
they d. not like they even ate some
Of the box elder leaves, which thcJ
like still less. Apple aud pear tree,
were stripped, cabbages disappeared
onions wtrs actually dag out Of tn.
ground, and tho general run OF gar
don vegetables was destroyed. Pca'
they never touch, neither do tbay
squashcs until they have taken svory
thing else, and, usually, large patch.
o. Of cucumbers and melons ars lett
Peach trees sre never eaten. Tho wri'
4 ~" =. ..is had fins piecu Of -c,uysl
on which they a!ighted 10 thick " ,h.,
: 10 Ireea was TO ~. seen, oau mt. E.s
vailing color was the sllveIy white .
their wings, mixed with the brown %
their boJies. As it WAS tic to cut, il
wa, speedily laid low, and then i,
siIrriog it, 81, that it nrght wilt anC
DO less juicy, there seemed fully o.
much weight and bulk OF .gra,siipp.
pers us OF clover, though il was u
heavy that when green there wer,
not less Than five tons to the acre. A
he tune uf their arrival. all The W hea
/ was in such u 10, ward state tia
| these insects did il no Injury, 30, o
, most other small grains But ,
field OF green cOrn Is a iavorite disi
with Them, and sweet coru il qpicsI,
destroyed, 80 also every kind OF yci
low or Dent corn. But the white va
rlety, known hero rs the white Aus
4 trnliuu, which, isa an excelieut sort
and yields well, Is 'ironsclad, qwipl
A