Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1885-06-04
THE PACIFIC COAST scouaaE.
Millions OF Grasshoppsrs That are Reared
by the Glorious Climate.

Millions OF Grasshoppsrs That are Reared
by the Glorious Climate.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
1t would not be pitching the present
article in aR alarmist key to say that
large portion of the f0Olhill region OF
California is not only threatened, but Is
being devastated by such swarms oil
grassh0ppers that they amount to moth
ing short of plague. The line oil
march has been westward across the
center of the State. All authorities and
reports appear to agree in fixing upon
desOlate wastes Of the Sierra slopes as
the birthplace of the insects. There
among the stones and scrub the eggs lie
hidden year after year, until some pecu-
liar climatic or physiological condition
bring them to life. Last week an army
of grasshoppers invaded the agricultu-
raj land contiguous to Wick's, eight or
ten miles from OrOville on the Chico
road. They annihilated eighty acres OF
grain in short order. GrasshOppers have
appeared i'm Lone Valley in such num-
bers as to amount to scOurge. Inc
grain clOp, which only promised about
half yield before, is now likely to De
utterly ruined.
In the neighbOrhOOd OF LatrObe and
White Rock the stencil arising from the
dead bodies of the hoppers that clog up
the running streams is more offensive
than the worst aggregation of slaughter
houses. The country for miles around,
usually at this time of the year covered
with long grass and bsdecked with wild
flowers, presents a most desolate appear
aI lAnly
swept by fire. The large farmers In that
neighbsrhOOd have lost their entire crop
and tho feed on their pastures. Those
in the neighborhOod of White Rock and
Clarksville have suffered equally as bad.
The grassho2pers are eating the foil
age from Orange, peach and apple trees
about Wyandotte, and are also destroy
ing the vegetables in the gardens. The
Natoma vineyard is said to be suffering
severely. A gentleman from R0ekiin
states that the California Raisin Com
pany's vineyard, near that place. has
been entirely denuded by the grasshop..
pers. Captain WescOtt, the manager of
the COmpany's property, says that while
the raisin product of the vineyard was
last year many thousands OF dollars, the
frRit of the entire 100 acres OF bearing
vines will not this year be over $780,
The destruction is almost complete. A
Sacramento paper states that lO,OOO
acre stock ranch in tho southern part or
Ell Dorado County has been entirely de-
nuded of everything green, pine and
willow trees stripped of their foliage,
and in nearly every instance the trees,
vines and shrubs have been entirely
killed. The springs, wells. reservoirs.
bitches. watering trOughs and streams
are filled with dead bodies OF myrlads OF
the insects in putrid state, the water
has become poisoned, stock refuse to
drink it and tho stencil arising there
from is nauseating in the extreme.
In Grass Valley the insects are eating
the peaches down to the pits. In attack
ing vineyard they commence with the
row, and after eating the vines down to
the cid wood proceed to the next, and so
on. The California and Oregon freight
train of thirty five ears got stalled about
a mile from ROseville, Wednesday night
in consequence of the number of grass
hOppers that had collected on the track.
1t was found necessary to cut the train
In TIVE, take part to Roseville and then |
70 back after the remainder. They are
80 thick all along the line of the railroad
that the officials are planning kind of
1 pillow or scraper to clear them from the [
'ails. In one of their attacks on an or
,hard near Gait they not only cleared
,ff the leaves and green fruit and dug
'ut the pith from the tender twigs, but
Ilso delved down below the surface and
te up the young roots. Away up in the
sierra, on the mountain meadow pastnr.
$, grasshOppers and crickets are clean
ng off the heritage and are crOwdibg up
o the retreating SNOW line in advance
the arrival of migratory 1ocks of sheep
ear Stockton farmer was so oyerrun
nth them that they not only filed up
is well, but also forced their way into
is house, which in dispair and disgust
e was hnally obliged to shut up and
a ~