New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-03

str0gycr than regulators ana men can DC Psv.s o "
Jaei;sonriIe Fla, Jan. IL. 1877.
FIGHTING GRASSHOPPERS.
rpFfCIrNT AID POSSIBLE FROM TIE GOVERNMENT
S2OO, 100000 ANNUALLY LOST TO AGRICULTURE.
To the Edftor Of The Trfbn"e.
SIR: The question whether The Western States
ana Territories are peoped by grasshoppers TO tue
exclusion OF the white is one OF some interest III
the year s75 said that 10000 settlers LETT the sto
Of Kansas, driven out by grasshoppers the ohspIns
sSarms which the year before Travelled so'no ooo
miles from the Rocky Mountains bocu''' "o
not swarm III this way every year, bat the Intervals 'o
tween their visitations have been shorter OF o !'"
than formerly The great breeding places arc III o"'
Western Territories The most extensive pastures are
TIE fertile prres extending from Minnesota 10 leAaS'
Government aid has been invoked IN cohVohio'o .o
Governors Of the afflicted Territories ana States, "" "
ia 10 he hoped that the National Government VIII SCI vi
such inquiries by scientific men IS VIII lea" " P'
teal measures in fighting the locust
In dealing with this fearfully destructive insect IL Is
20 ,rmc importance to have thorough knowledge OF
IFS breeding places the frequency and extent OF lts na
tons and TO seek for the connection between Tue "
ton of the wind and tho meteorological phenomena anu
the fights Of the locust The locust Is quie OF ne"'S
rs destructive in Africa Asia. and In southern Elop "
i'm this country, but the laws of their migraohs anu
their connection with meteorological occurrences nave
never been studied in those regions and 1t remains ior
the United States, with its Invaluable weather S'ghh
Bureau to institute, in connection with the scehlc sur
veys of the West, investigations regfchs tc h"'"0o
the evil and the best means to oyercome H.
II appears that locust years are years OF UNUSUAL
drouth that these dry around every seven
or ght years In such grassloppers orceu III
unfold miions the supply of food being short they are
forced TO fly of hundreds Of miles. For example n
swarm OF Iocuss observed by Prof Robinson OF te o
versy OF Kansas Boulder City, Colorado raVeou
distance Of about six hundred miles to Eastern hS's
and Missouri Though the swarm first observed at
BOULDER t. was then its way from tie nort ana may
have come from some part Of Wyoming 300 or 300 nies
n6rt-ycatwaId or northvaFd. We know enough Oh the
winds in the Westerns states aG Territories To lay Gown
the law that the general direction of the wluS III july
and August along the eastern slope OF ihe Rocky 'o
tans and the plains is from the west ana noft"'N'
and accorde With The eastward course Of the locust
swarins The relations between the average direction OF
.o vin5s and the igrations of the locust have not been
sufficiently studied. We need more light Indeed, II We
would ineigenjly study the causes OF the excessive III
crease and igra of the locust w must cN'h" '
meteorological features of the western country! "'cn
the periods doutl and Of undue rainfall the average
direction of the wind FOR the different months IN order 10
learn how far they correspond with the phenomena 81
Iocste That there cycles Of dry and ho seasons
recurring at irregular intervals WHALE The Srlri" aver
age may remain nearly the same, century a'r century
ia supported. though 1t may be vaguely by observed
facts.
So fine question arises Can tle wea ,her Signal Bureau
after While predict the comm; OF seSsons 81 un"e neat
and dryncSs, aud consequently can we pfcdic i'c"''
years It does not unreasonable to believe 'hat
we shall Of time DO able to f3rtt' WIN goou
degree OF certainty locust iuvasons and be abe 10 pro
vide against the losses thus incurred IL viii be seen by
tine reader that in studying tho habit; OF the locust the
observations OF the meteOrclC ists ana cntomooHS'S
mus, 20 hand in hand. The Government has provided
well organized corps Of weather Observers. and suD
nij thar Few competent en"n""SH,s Sho'2 ~ t
Held under Government au,llcrs. Ho' ony NhCi NO
border States especially IetlS, Kansas N."il,h :h-
Ill, raj policy Of Missouri, wliciior ei years NJ, 10.
state entOnOlusi5 whose reports hat proved &" mo!
ia;. OF fc Locust need iir-t al 10 We thoroughly
.''.i,l IN Territories, particularly ~ inc" %
Wy IIng No. rana. Idaho, DAKOTA. Utah New 'iesico
krizoIa and in lie new State OF Colorado. 4 commits
sion " entomoOgsts should he app"hi"" 10 p'hNo =
toned. Il would seem that the cc"nri'hiaiH'7 h'e
the recent meeting Of western G"'eh'iS a' Vai 10
sul commission be attached the cXsir United
STATES Geological aud Geographical survey of tHr Terri
tories UiayGcn.j. Is ID" most feasible asa eCuhohich
method securing thc speed'cs, aud best result -,
United states from the attacks 81 insects The annual
agricultural products Of nS c1LrtrJ ~ mo 'sl @isU
amounted in value S25"Ooo0,"0o. o. tlGs am1uut
we in al probability ;uiuaN lose upward ~ T*nooo3-
00O from insects alone-lt least weIc i not i3r the a.
so mich more. Prof Riley AYERS nat The ossr, during
1874 in Missouri from lOcus's exceeded Tl3W0VJo
THIS would make the losses an "'hI hrt OF tne M'i NJ
least twice mach more, or Sl3OO0oO III az. he Gs-
OccdslOucd the clirli mug III i-
Il, is u 1864 was S13UJOG00; II Mis- vi III l"i
il ia Estimated ~ Dr. Riley to have been ti9oJG0OO
me average am loss Ia the cotton crop IRON e at
$50 600 OOD Adding 10 these the losses sustained by
the attacks about thOus1r I'd other species Of insects
which affect cereals forage and Ted cf0iia' 1rGit
trees aud shrbs. garden veg tables, shade and orEa-
mcnal trees well hard wood ana pine forests.
and stored fruits, aud II Will not Ice Thought IN .XaESea
ton 10 put a!nu1 losses ~ "boui Oot@O,noo
VI the people of tins country would olJ Gut N TINS
annual depletion. tins absolute waste, WHICH hCCS her
agricultural community poor, AMI which drd@S her back
auIft Z trllg nj
they might see the necessity of taking clrtua proven
tive measures in restraining the rayaerS Of insects. Wth
care rorchOught based the observation ~ facts
by scientific mCu believe tha from N5O,OO0,OJO TO
500 900 900 from Onc-quaricr to Ous hHif OF tins
annual waste could be saved Ia the Ana tie
practical. most efficient H. for the STATES 20
oucl.C with the General Government III the apuTt-
of STARRED ontOnOossts, and OF United states
Commission OF EitOnGOEiSis. WHO should, perhaps.
com tho results Of the STATE officials ami issue
weekly bulletins, perhaps in combination with the
reports OF the Weather Signal Bureau. the cuu-
dinns of ne insect world. fOrcWarHing iailn"r5 AMI
gardeners from week 10 week. ~ Ia What enemies should
guarded against, and what preventive and remedial
measures should BE eduptcd. Tie tdChcr signal Bureau
nis suggested and urgoi bv the tate T. A. IIpham,
rot instituted without dCuc and opposition hut II has
saved millions TO commerce ard aSfcutGIe. The
maintenance Of chronological commission and the
appointment OF state ehUinOiOgiss would inyoly" com
r.: IiYciy ldtlc expense. a. .. PACKARD, jr.
Sa'eU Mass, Jan. l., 1871
THE TRIP AROUND TIE WORLD.
To me E6ifDy % rae Trtg1tJP