Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-08-29
THE PEST or THE WEST
Professor Riley's Report ofhls GrasshOpper
Investigations in Colorado.
PARASITIC ENEMIES RIoTlNG IN PLENTY
AND SURE TO CUT SHORT THE LOCUST
DEPREDATIONs.

TO the Editor of the Chicago Tribune;
DENVER, Col, August LIN all the
States to the east, invaded last year,
the eggs of the locust were laid very
thickly, and the gravest apprehensions
as TO injury existed as spring opened.
Nor were these without warrant. Not
withstanding those eggs which were
destroyed during the winterby enemies,
and those which prematurely hatched
in the fall and during the mild weather
of February, enough hatched in April
to cause CONSERVATION. Throughout
the invaded country lying east of Col
orado, already visited by tho commits
sion-which includes all the States
affected, from Texas to Minnesota-the
insects have disappeared without, in a
general way, doing any very serious
injury. What with the increased num-
Der Of birds and their other enemies
the more determined efforts made and
improved methods of warfare employed
against them by farmers the heavy,
cold and continued rams that followed
the principal Matching and the greater
debility and tendency to disease among
them, everywhere noticeable, the young
insects rapidly decreased in number,
and those which survived to acquire
wings rose and flew 10 the northwest
in scattering swarms. Even in North
west Iowa and Southeast Minnesota,
where the injury was greatest, the in
sects have not remained to deposit as
they cid in past years. They contin-
ued to die oil, and finally left, or are
now leaving, after doing more or less
injury. There were more eggs laid in
Colorado last fall than during any pre-.
vious year that those whom | have
conversed with remember. The prin-
cipal Matching in April was followed
by continued cold rains and SHOWS,
which would partially thaw during the
day and freeze again at night, so that
the young insects were alternately sub
iected to much slush and frost, In
early summer there was by far the
largest amount Of rainfall known for
many years in the State. The insects
were weak, and died and disappeared.
Birds were unusually serviceable in
destroying them, and one little gray,
gregarious species, described to me us
being abundant and efficient IN Febru,
ary, and which is, perhaps, the horned
shore lark (EremophHa alpeStris) | have
not noticed in the East. AT attitudes
from 5000 to 5000 feet above tho sea,
the principal hatching occurred IN May,
and was later in proportion as we as
cend, until, in the passes with an altl-
tude Of l2,OOO TO l5,OOU ieet, the insects
are yet Matching. AT such great
heights tho mature dead are often to
be found IN largo quantities under
stones and other shelter, which they
sought last fall when prematurely over
taken by winter and Their young are
hopping about in great numbers AS
no agriculture IS carried on IN these
parks and paeees no eiiort is mado to
destroy the Insects
~ u ~ consequo"oo ~ wy auo'V
iacts that the locust question oecomes
so complicated N your o'a'e, oo'ora'
do combines wlin'n her limi's inc
meteorological ana ellmauc ,,,i features o.
a dozen states, in III .nG mississippi
valley country lnere arc Jaws govern
ing the iall invaslons IRON inc north
west and inc return m'grauons ., 'i.s IN sum sum
mer on ~hlch 10 ~, Hrcuic".c wl'n .o,eih' ,,
bic assurance ms ~ more Par.lcu' Pe,,
larry true sou.n oi ,, .nc iorey.lourVu
parallel iour most mos, ulsas.rous ,t =, swhr,hs ,p
also come from tnc nor'n ana nor'n' ,
west and the ihsec's wn'ch naten OUT
on your plans eas1 o. ,no ,, ,noun,'',ns ' ~ s
are largely governed py ,,, lno same ,, iaws
ana instincts as lnosc wiilcn nn'ch W
the east. on On acquiring .E, ~ WINS ms .aSy ,Sy
leave, ana ihoso tn"' r,se oeioro .no
second week IN July WIN pear m, mos''y
to tho north ana northwest. h's ,, % %