The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-08-02
THE .LOCUSTS,

1-ocusts were flying over on Saturday
and rumor said they had settled down
in Rock county and were eating the
crops. But this, like all other rumors
this year, proved to be nine-tenths scare
and one-tenth fact. The hoppers this
time are degenerate" beyond ques-
tion. They have dwindled down to
half-grown insects covered with para
sites which cucumber and destroy
them. We told our friend Huntington,
of the Window Reporter, that the pests
would ''degenerate'' but he wouldn't
believe it.
Nevertheless, they have done good
deal Of damage up north. In 4 strip
reaching from the Minnesota River to
Otter Tail Lake, about 125 miles long
and 50 miles wide, it is said that Is per
cent. of the crops have been destroyed.
WHEAT RAISING.
We have heard good many farmers
express regret that they did not SOW
more wheat, since the crop bids fair,
rs a rule, to escape the locusts this
year. Last Spring we were frequently
asked as to the prorriety of putting in
wheat and we answered with the ia
miliar quotation from the Psal,nist,
"they that SOW IT, tears shall reap in
joy. lie that goeth forth and weepeth,
hearing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing bringing his
s1'eayes Will. him." This Scripture is
certainly being fulfilled this season.
Under the locust attliction, many per-
Sons arrived ut the lasty conclusion
that the only safe and reliable farming
operation III this section of country
was stock raising. This Is safe and re-
liable at all times and nearly every
where. But this section cannot Ike an
exclusively stock-growing section, any
more than it can run exclusively to
wheat and he safe. The locust vista
tion has driven many into stock and
we earnestly hope that they will con-
tinne in the business. and that many
Others will engage in it. One-fourth
1T the area of Mobiles county is most
admirably adapted to stock, haying a.
bundance of grass and water. The
other three-fourtls is just rs admira-
bly, adapted to wheat raising.
And now that it is virtually settled
that Our crops will escape the locusts
this year, and that in ill probability
there will lie little or no deposit of eggs,
we predict next season 4 revival of the
old interest in wheat growing. This
is just rs it should I've. Already men of
capital are hooking over Mobiles, Rock,
and other counties of this magnificent
prairie district with a view to taking
lands and raising wheat. And we pre-
dict that next year thousands of acres
of new sod will be broken will, that
object in view.
We are il the garden spot of the
wheat country, and cannot afford to
neglect our great staple. There are
millions in it, as the next ten years will
prove. :" Those most familiar with Min
nesota. and with investments in the
Northwest, are pretty generally agreed
that there arc very few, if any, better
investments for capital, than are to he
found in buying our wild prairie lands
mt their present minimum prices, and
engaging in wheat growing.
No operation figures out more beau
tifnlly un payer than a wl,eat-raisinr
operation. And if men will only put
their prices near the minimum and
their expenses near the maximum, and
then set in TOR 4 five or ten years o,,e-
ration, their figures, with good man.
asement. will lie litHe than realized.
Wheat Can be raised ats50 cents abusll.
FL, hiring about everything, and it c:,,,
always be sold ut from CSC to 81 per
busl,el. dr.,
So ne hope to see pretty general re:
viyai Of the former interest in wheat
culture.