The Red Cloud chief., 1876-11-23
The hopper

cult to obtain Information rcgardin
the nature and habits of the lucusts o
g~raSshOppcrS, 100 particular methods f.
their determination or for protection
from their ravageS have yet been f0un,
10 any satisfactory extent. We CA
learn without much trouble of tn
great destruction made bv them i'm tn,
different States, and especially in tn,
Mississippi Valley, but the vital nrccs
SIty of the huur-a necessity CONNECTED
with the best Interests of agriculture
Is a speedy, practical remedy for III,
great evil. The Bureau Of Agriculture
at Washington, established for the adj
~vanceInent of Il great agricultural i'm,
~terests, is nearly silent in regard t.
locust or g~rasshoppcr dtvastations. the
attention of the Department not hay
ing been directed to the investigation
of the subject. Is there not a great
fault that this Department has not
given this question more attention ,
Surely it could not in any manner aid or
advance the interests Of agriculture
better than 10y Il thorough INVESTIGATION
ola subject closely allied with the vital
prosperity OF the country. The fullest
information on the subject is embodied
IN the report of he Regents of the
Smithsonian Institution of ISIS. In
order to bring the subject readily before
You. deem it proper to review briefly
the destruction which has been made
10y the locuSts in various countries. and
at different periodSo of the past, together
with some of the means which have
been employed for defense against their
inroadS.
Perhaps the earliest recorded appear-
ance of the ~grasShoppers upon the
North American continent, WAS upon
the lands of the Jesuit missionaries. in
California. IN the year 1922. They re-
appeared there in 1916, and i'm l753 and
1914, and again for three years success
slVely, beginning with 1865. CAPTAIN
Jonathan Carver, vino explored the vast
region of the extreme Northwest in
1906. describes their appearance at that
early day, adding that 'they infest these
parts nd IL" Interior colonies in larue
swarms, and do a great deal of mis-
chief"
lIe first record We find Of the an !
pearance Of the locust in the Nurth- |
west during the present century is con- |
tanned III NeIllS History of Njunesot,
1t occurred in the Red River settlement
In the year 1878 and 1919, and WAS AZ
invasion III great force. causing much
suffering III a Young COLONY already
struggling with the numberless hard
ships incident Dearly pioneer life. The
account states iIlat the transformers
cafne from the west one afternoon IN
the last week of July, 1878, ate every
thing green and deposited their egcs
The coloniStS We're obliged II send to
lralrle du Chen TO obtain seed for
next crop. From 1920 to 49,,
there Gems To have been 80 marked
locust invasion in the MiSsissippi VAL +.
ley, excepting the ravages i'm Texas in
lSi5 and again in 1879. This lonr in
tervai OF quiet may perhaps be ex-
piaihed 10y the fact that within tLe in ,
leifal severe y~iSitations We're felt in Z
in 1S2S. 1888 and 1916 and hr f,
the possible fact that the locusts NAV ,
nave crossed tie Rocky Mountains. and
mace advances westward during those =,
But 1t is plain, from the words :
Of Carver. already quoted, that the an =,
pearance of the locusts in the North =
west was a thing of repeated occur q
'ence before the time when he visited q,
he country Una. and it is more than +
probable that even portions of Min. v
leSota were visited between 1919 and g
Sc. \
The invasion of Minnesota in 1874 :
vas confined mostly to a narrow belt :
Ipon the [ PIPER Mississippi Valley. and r
hongh limited in area was exceedingly >,
.vere. Trey reappeared in 1864 and D.
S65. chiefly in the northwestern portion !,
I the state, doing hut little damage al
kept in a few localities. Their next 81
ppearance was in 1868. when they
lade a slight incursion. They ap- W
cared IN limited numbers, doing little ly
amage. in 1912. But the period of pI
e most prolonged ard destructive Wis ht
Of the pests is that which began
1873. and continues to this date. to
In the vicinity of fine Sacramento til
alley. Cal. in July. 1856. the locusts eg
ade their appearance in great num- la
rs. The air for three DAYS. at an ele- adj
tion of from 20 TO 900 feet. was lit Ell
ally thick with them. resembling a tn
nse snow-storm. Great numbers fell ha
the streets of Sacramento. and the ST.
v seemed actually taken by storm. We
'ev Immediately commenced the In
lo'esale destruction Of everything sh'
zen inthe neighhorhood. In the Sacra- drl
INTO Valley whole orchards, vine des
IDS and gardens have been consumed we
them. Entire fields of grain and rev
Ter crops and vegetables were eaten the
in the course of a single day. In err
ne portions of the valley they an ma
7ed the passengers and horses of the VIII