Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-05-09
CALoPTENUs sPRETUs.
Which We Call EN- Grasshoppers.

mission has sent us circular re-
questing answers to q. list of ques.
tions about the rise, progress,
habits and morals of the Caloptenus
Spretus, alias Rocky Mountain To-
Gust, alias grasshopper. Forty
three thousand six hundred and
twenty-seven recipes for the de-
struction of grasshoppers have been
published within the last thirty days
in Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and
Minnesota papers, and the people
of the latter State got down on their
Blended knees the other day and
prayed at the pest, but still the
hopper wiggles his tail, devours
everything from cog wheel to a
board fence, and is apparently
happy. He is in danger, however,
Of which he wots not, for the
United States chronological Com
mission is after him with a sharp
stick and Sl8,0 900 in it, treasury,
and Wa advise him to take the polar
star as an objective point and give
his wings and legs no rest until the
@gis of the British flag protects
him. When the line is crossed he
might take n rest until the season
is somewhat more advanced, and
then go North and grow up with
the country.
We cannot afford space for all the
questions, with answers, and there
FIRE select those most important to
the agriculture of Nevada
IL. Estimate the injury done in
yonr county and State.
Answer-S000, 600, 900.
IA. Crops which suffered least.
Answer Sagebrush and gold and
silver bullion.
II. The means employee in your
section for the destruction of the
winged insects, or to protect crops
from their ravages, and how far
these have proved satisfactory.
Answer-The native nomads of
the fertile plains of Nevada years
ago devoured the last delicious
gfasshopper. For ages the hopper
managed to maintain a precarious
existence off the succulent sage by
mounting into its outrageous
branches, beyond his enemy's reach,
bu. finally the aborigine learned
from his white brother the method
of ring hunting, and few years
sufliced to surround the last grass
hopper. drive him into a pit in the
center, roast him and eat him up.
1t is supposed a few, seeing sure
destruction if they remained, fled
the country and informed the hop
pers in other regions of the dread
full doings here. At any rate the
invading hosts have never dared to
cross our borders.
IL. Descriptions, and II possible,
figures of such mechanical con-
trivances as have proved useful in
your locality for the destruction of
either the young or the winged in
sects.
Answer-The absence OF our
artist sketching around Lake Tahoe
prevents us giving an accurate
figure of the mechanical con-
trivance" that has proved useful in
the destruction Of the insects. The
contrivance is of very ingenious
mechanism, sometimes ornamented
with paint and feathers, and likes
grasshoppers roasted, fried, boiled.
al mode, devilled, or scrambled,
with sauce or plain; fresh. sailed.
dessicated, or canned; homeless, or
with bones, plumage and all; cook
ed in Washoe, Piute or Shoshone
style, and at all hours Of she day or
night, and Lent never lessons the
consumption.
This latter answer may possibly
suggest to the Commission the es-
adjustment of a new industry in
the insect ridden States-preparing
grasshoppers for shipment to Ne
vada. They might be dried,
canned. or preserved in honey
this style would find readiest sale,
we opine. If dried, they may be
ground up with some farinaceous
seeds. which is the favorite style
for winter use in Nevada. But
fresh canned hoppers would doubt
less find ready sale. II the Com
mission should thus convert the
erasshopper into blessing instead
of scourge and n curse. we shall
soon find the Governors of those
nov afflicted States prociaiming
fast and prayer for good hop
per crops. Then another Com
mission will have To be appointed
to find why's and wheretores to in.
crease the production.
MINER Enthusiastically last an
accident occurred at the Alta mine by
which miner named Lawrence De
Marina was so badly injured that he
died Monday. A portion of the
pump-rod fell to the bottom of the
shaft. HIS left leg below the knee