The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-04-05
The Burden Of the Grasshopper.


to increase and thrive in the better past
ures of the cultivated plains, and to cause
great anxiety for the future of the most
fertile portions Of the country. L is set
down as a fact that in the year 1875 ten
thousand persons were driven out Of the
state of Kansas by grasshoppers just
how many grasshoppers are required to
remove such an army OF settlers beyond
state lines and send them into temporary
or permanent exile is not stated, and the
fact will probably never be accurately
| known. In this connection it is stated
that the grasshoppers which drove ten
thousand people out of Kansas We're the
offspring Of sWarms which the year pre-
viOus started out from their Rocky Noun
| tain home on mission of devastation. OF
late years the visitations of these Rocky
Mountain lOcusts to remote sections of the
country have been more frequent, until
at last they have ere ated Widespread
| alarm. The great breeding places are
| the far western territories, and they are
| now looked upon as enemies more to be
dreaded than savage tribes SO formid-
able have these insects become tlat en-
pire states find it impossible to resist their
| encroachments or arrest the destruction
OF their yiSitatiOnS, In seasons of drouth,
grasshoppers breed untold millions. Home
supplies of food are soon exhausted, and
| then they take wing and fly to more pro-
ducliye climes hundreds of miles away.
| 1t is suggested that the Weanler bureau
may contribute valuable information in
regard to locust years. Indicating the
coming seasons OF llrouth and Ill this
| way prepare the farmer 10 devise plans
| to rescue at least some portion OF his
crops from their Unsuitable NAV. SO far
however, it has mattered little what the
| information has been, the means OF res
cuing growing crops from the raVenoua
| Tapacity Of the grasah0pper have not been
| discovered.
The recent appropriation by Congress.
and the appointment OF Il board OF en1o-
| mologists specially for tha investigation
| OF this pest, may do much towards stop
| ping it. The idea first took practical
shape Al the Omaha meeting OF western
| Governors, who special, recommended
| II tn, tI,l af,a1 \
who appears TO have given much thought
| to the subject makes the suggestion that
as The government has provided a Wellor-
| ganized corps OF weather observers, thu
number Of competent entomologists shall
take the field under government auspices.
| In celebrating his idea the writer is of the
opinion that mot only siluilld the bolder
states, especially Texas, Kansas, NebraS
| ka, Minnesota and Iowa employ cntomol-
ogists, following the liberal policy OF Mis-
| souri,, which for eight Years has had Il
state entomologist, whose reports have
proved Of incalculable practical value to
the people of that state, but the habits Of
the locust need first Of all to be thorough
| ~ studied in the territories, particularly
| in Wyoming, Montana. Idaho, Dakota,
| Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and in he
new state Of Colorado. \ commission
OF cntomologists should be appointed to
make a thorough study of the locusts in
| the territories mentioned.
The action of the general government
| was demanded. in Wow Of til" .Hst inter
~, are OF such national
Importance that 4 refusal to take them
under its fostering care and protection
would be little less than suicidal. The
proprety Of the movement to secure gov
ernmental aid. it is believed, is warranted
10y the figures, which placed the agricul-
tural products Of the country in 1870 1t
the value Of $500, 100000. OF this
amount, it is estimated that products to
the amount of $500, OO0, 900 are DESTROYED
by insects alone. Professor Riley is of
the opinion that losses during 1874 from
locusts exceeded S15,O0O, 900 in the state
of Missouri, and in other western states
the amount is set down ut S45, 600 600
The estimated loss by cliinch bugs in
Illinois in 1864 was over $4,000 900 ana
in Missouri $4,000, 900. 1.-The average
annual loss to the cotton crop from tile
attacks OF the cotton army worm alone
is estimated at S5O,OOO.OOO Adding to
these the losses sustained bV The attacks
OF about Il thousand other species Of in
sects which affect our cereals, forage and
field crops, fruit trees and shrubs. garden
vegetables, shade and ornamental trees.
as we'll as our hard wood and pine for
e8ts, and stored fruits, and ii will rot be
thought an eXaggeraton to put our an
nual LOSSES at about 5000 600, 600"
1t is not surprising, therefore, in view
OF this array ri figures, hat AID is tA-
pected from the general government 10
arrest the destruction by the insect enc
mics OF agriculture. 1t is believed that
with care and fOrethought, based on the
observation OF facts by scientific men,
that from $50, 900 600 to 800, 600, 600 can
be saved annually, and the recommends
ton is made that the 1tmost efficient way
IS for the states interested to Cooperate
with the general government in the APP
pOlntment OF Stl;lried enlomOlOgistS, and
OF Il United States commission OF enlomo-
logists, who should perhaps, combine the
results of the state officials and issue
weekly bulletins, perhaps in combination
with the reports Of the weather Signal
bureau, rs to the conditions OF the in
sect world, toreWarning farmers and
gardeners from week to week as to what
enemies should be guarded against, and
what preventive and remedial measures
should be adopted