The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-07-17
DOxESTIC ECONOMY.
How the Government Succeeded in Destroy
ing the Locusts on the Island cf
Cyprus-ndustrial Notes.
Exterminating Locusts.

discriminating Locusts.
Locusts recently appeared in such
numbers in southern Russia that the
governors of six provinces held meet
ing at Odessa, TO devise means for de-
stroying them. AS no plan that SEEM
ed TO be practiced could be recon-
mended the conference broke up. A
correspondent of London paper who
visited these provinces states that he
was reminded of the words of the
Hebrew prophet in relation to the dep
relations of locusts. He was witness
of the same terrible destruction de-
scribed in the bible. 1.-The land is the
garden of Eden before them,
and behind them desolate
wilderness" The English, since they
have been in possession of Cyprus
have succeeded IN ridding it of these
insect pests. The way it was accom-
plished is thus described by Miss c. F.
Gordon Cummings in communication
to The Pail Mall Gazette:
That this sad fate was IN store for
Cyprus appeared so evident that in
1880 it became positively necessary for
the colonial government to take the
matter seriously in hand and organize
measures for the salvation of the isle.
1t was therefore made compulsory on
every male between the ages of Is and
60 years to collect certain weight of
locust eggs, to be paid as an annual
tax to the commissioners appointed to
superintend this work of destruction
in three districts-namely Famagusta,
Larnaca, and Nicosia. 1t was stipu-
lated that the egg-sacks must be deliv-
cred clean, without any admixture of
earth; so we may form some estimate
of how enormous was the diminution
of the foe when we learn that the
weight of the tiny grain-like eggs de-
stroyed an the autumn of 1880 was
actually 236 tons. This, however, was
far exceeded in the following year, for
Notwithstanding the wholesale destruc-
ton, the remnant that escaped detec-
ton and survived to deposit their eggs
was so great that no less than 1880
tons weight of locusts' eggs were de-
stoyed between July 1881, and Feb
ruary, 1882. Nevertheless, so great
was the multitude of cunningly- buried
egg-sacks which escaped detection
that, when the Matching season arriv-
ed, there was apparently no diminu-
ton in the vast swarms of living locusts
which presently appeared-hungry
hordes threatening immediate famine,
and suggesting ever-increasing legions
for future years.
1t was evident that measures for
their wholesale destruction must be
on a far more extensive
scale. The preparations for war in
cluded such items as $500 canvas
screens, each fifty yards in length,
tools for digging great trenches, and
quired to keep watch day and night
wherever the presence of the foe was
In the districts of Fama-
gusta alone 32, 220 pits were dug, and
all these were in due time filled with
mass of struggling To-
Gusts, the total weight of insects thus
destroyed in this one district alone be-
ing above $4,000 tons! 1t might well
be supposed that such a wholesale
would have effectually
thinned the locust legions. But again
the survivors proved to have been so
that the swarms of the fol-
lowing spring were actually as large
as those of any previous year, and the
official reports stated that they were
still gaining ground. 1t was evident
hat yet more vigorous measures were
so the infested area was sub
iivlded into smaller districts, each of
which was placed under the closest
60, 600 pits were dug, and
200 additional screens were prepared
md kept in active movement preced-
ng the march of the foe. While gov
officers were thus energetic,
hey were sorely tried by the amazing
inertia of the peasants, whose indo-
ence even outweighed all ordinary |
prudence of self-interest. Thus the |
engineer, Mr.. S. Brown,
eports arriving at a village where he
ound only handful of old men and |
'oys vainly working at the locust pits
nd screens, utterly unable to cope
With the multitude of locusts which
passed them, actually crawl
no into the streets. To his disgust he
1und troops of able-bodled men (the
wners of the lands and the crops
'hich were in such imminent periD
Hing at the cafes, and refusing to
ork, "because," they said, govern
tent, having undertaken the business,
ould, of course, accomplish it, but
ley did not choose to work for such
w rate of pay" The rate offered
eing equal to that habitually given
,r hard work on the roads. Truly,
dealing with such people, there was
uch TO be SAID in favor of the Turk
h system of compulsory labor, which
rs only been abolished under British
lie. In like manner, when every
srve was being strained to discover
Id clear every locust breeding
-ound, news was received very late
at a large quantity had Matched, and
ere already well grown, in an isolat-
district about thirty-five miles from
~ other locust-bed. This must have
en- known to many peasants and to
G inhabitants of neighboring mon
terry, but no one had the grace even /,
send information to the officials.
such drawbacks as :
,ich led to the escape of many in
cts as a reserve to supply future 2
,uble, 1t is estimated that the locust
ughter of 1888 must have been s