The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-08-17
GRASSHOPPERS.
a Thousand Miles of the P1ague-Fheir
Ravages in Iowa and the Danger for
Next Year.

a Thousand Miles of the PIague-Fheir
Ravages in Iowa and the Danger for
Next Year.
[Spencer Qowal Letter to DesMoines Register.l
1t is apparent to the most ordinary
observer of these regions that the grass
hoppers are vastly increasing In num-
bers, if not in the frightening of their
line of march east and west. The line
now extends a thousand miles or more
east and west, starting from somewhere
inside of the line of the British posses
sions, and now reach south as far down
as the north third OF the State, doing
incalculable damage to all the cultivated
green vegetation they can find. In from
twelve to forty eight hours they destroy
whole fields of corn and yet growing
cereals, and gardens and potatoes. They
are thus far not yet sufficiently large In
numbers to materially iniure the prairie
grasses, but if all the eggs they are now
depositing will hatch next year, cannot
see how they can possibly sus tain them
selves while yet in their caterpillar state
without feeding very largely on, and to
the great injury of our prairie grasses
that is, until they can f y.
Near this village gentleman counted
the number Of grasshopper eggs in space
OF ground six inches square and found
l $40 eggs, and in this village gentle
man found $40 in one inch square of
ground. At this rate, if all deposited
shall come to perfection, it will require
but very few acres of grasshopper nests
to the section of land.to need every spear
of grass on the section to feed them.
How far north and south and how far
east and west this incubation field ex-
tends, we cannot say, but experience
teaches that every migrating cloud of
the pests leaves, at all events, strag
glers-occupying forces, to impregnate
the land with their progeny with view
to holding the land conquered. 1t is
true that now and then they fail to do
so in small districts within their terrific
ries. But then they seldom fail when
again at their migrating condition, to
recover these neglected districts. We
had them here in 1873, their progeny In
1874. These, however, left at too early
a period for the laying of any eggs, SO
that in 1875 we had none. Nor were
there any eggs deposited in Iowa, per-
haps, in 1875, certainly not in any
county south of the north tier of coun-
ties, yet they are here in greater num-
bers than they have been within the
memSry of any one from Minnesota,
and there are, we are informed, clouds
and clouds of them, following these,
from regions still further north, and
in still increased numbers. In Western
Minnesota they have been every year
for four years, and doubtless will be
there again next year.
They are here nine days now, and
unless they leave within few days
there will not be one-quarter of an
average crop of corn, while the greater
number of farmers will have none at
all, and many late pieces of oats and
wheat will be, and in fact in many in
stances are already, ruined.
We here in this county CLAY are bet
ter prepared for this grasshopper raid
than we were four years since, but our
prospects for next year are more gloomy
than what our prospects for 1874 were,
because, ii you take hundreds of thou
sands as a multiplier and multiply the
number of eggs deposited in 1873 by it,
you will Very diStoaatly approximate the
number of eggs now being laid. Unless
the natural course of grasshopper events
will be successfully interfered with, we
will have comparatively no crop in 1877,
it 01ay, even though they leave now at
once, and no others come.