The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-08-26
THE CHRISTOPHER MUST GO
At Least Member Of the United
states chronological Comm issiOn
Hn1nks He Can BE Made to Move
Civilization.

|
Thinks He Can BE Made to Move
IM.estWard Before the Advance OF
Chicago Times.
Prof. Cyrus Thomas, ofCarbondale. g.
member of the United States ento-
mologlcal commission, passed through
the city on yesterday, on his way home
from q professional tour through Mime
sofa, Dakota and Manitoba.
| The professor was met at the Sher-
man house by reporter of the Times.
to whom he said that the wheat acreage
In the section he visited was immense
largely in excess of anything he had
anticipated, and largely in excess Of
what it was last year: The grain was
everywhere in splendid condition. In
some localities it wasn't as good as last
year, but on the average it was better.
Its uniform goodness was what chiefly
struck the professor. He found rust
only IN one district ON the west side of
the Red river, and in one other limited
district, but it only touched the blade
and didn't threaten to injure the grain.
according to the periodic visitations of
bad years which have hitherto been
observed, this ought to have been a bad
year, year of great dryness and an
abundance Of chinch bugs and grass
hoppers. But climate change SEEM
ed to be in progress. There is plenty
of moisture this year chinch-bugs have
only appeared on a trihing scale, and
the grasshopper has not committed any
devastations. Prof. Thomas found
wheat as far west as the James river,
IN Dakota, that was better than the
wheat on the Dalrymple, Cheney, and
Grandier farms. Three or four years
ago he didn't suppose that crops Of any
sort could be re raised as far west as the
James river.
Prof. Thomas believed that he had
discovered on this trip the solution of
the grasshopper problem. From 1873
to 1877 it was noticed that the grass
hoppers hung close to section of high
land prairie in southwestern Minnesota,
close to Dakota, known as the couteau
of the prairie. He had satisfied himself
that the reasons for this was that on
this couteau the grasshoppers found the
Typographical and climatic conditions
suited to breeding place. On account
of the moisture this year very few
grasshoppers had appeared here,
and Prof Thomas believed that
they could be driven away from the
locality entirely. To do this the ground
must be cultivated, and timber must be
grown. Using the fast-growing cotton
wood, the later could be accomplished
in a short time. Grasshoppers would
not breed in a wooded country, and the
timber would have the further good
effect of increasing the moisture, and
extreme dryness is what the grasshop-
per bankers after. 1t is hoped to get
the federal government to help about
timbering this section. If the grass
hoppers are driven out of this couteau
of the prairie they will find no other
breeding place nearer than the couteau
of the Missouri, a high prairie plateau,
extending along the river bank for
considerable distance. This couteau is
now being explored by agents of the
chronological commission for the pur-
pose of locating exactly the breeding
ground of the grasshoppers. The
professor is now satisfied that the To-
Gust plague can be pushed westward be-
fore the advance of civilization. and
thus it is possible to look forward to a
time when the grasshopper will cease to
be a burden. The particular fact that
convinced the professor of this was the
discovery ofwheat which grew we'll 50
far west as the James river. This
showed that that country could be Set
tied, and the settlement meant the end
of the grasshopper as well as the Indian.
The commission would explore the
breeding grounds ofthe grasshoppers in
Montana, and if it was found to be of
limited area he hoped the federal gov
eminent might be induced to cultivate
timber there, and perhaps emigrants
from Russia, who are used to fighting
grasshoppers might be induced to set
tie there.
| When Prof. Thomas visited Minnesota
two years ago he saw no help for the
farmers of that state but to fight the
grasshoppers whenever they appeared;
but now he is satisfied that the battle
ground may be removed from Mime
Sofa to Dakota, and then further west
the breaking up the soil, the growth of
timber and the increase of moisture
constantly driving the grasshoppers
westward in search of a breeding place.
But the only hope of Minnesota and
Dakota, is not only in fighting the grass
hopper, but in raising netting to eat,
lay in their taking care of their numer-
Gus lakes.
For various reasons, partly because
of the wholesale destruction of forests,
these lakes are drying up. When they
were gone or much reduced in size, the
climate would become so dry that
grasshoppers would thrive vigorously
and no CROPS would grow even If undis-
turbed by the grasshoppers. If they
would pillow, plant trees, and take care
of their lakes, the people of Minnesota