Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-19
FLIGHT oE Locusrs.
They Eat Up Every Green Thing and Leave
the Earth a Desert

Il
the Earth Desert
An army of locusts is n wonderful
and an interesting sight to the traveller
who does not own a yard of soil. and
is II mere onlOOker at their frightful
devastation. 1t is Attila and his innu-
merable horses rushing over the vege-
table world. To-day the wide plains
are shining green with dense foliage;
tomorrow nothing but brown twigs
and bare branches, when the legions
move off on their combined mission.
As they arrive, the dense, dark clouds
moving up from the horizon. and often
obscuring the suns rays. proclaim the
approach of the widely-dreaded
scourge. The alarmed villagers con-
gregate on the expected line of march.
beating drums and brass pots, shout
ing and lighting bonfres and making
all kinds of hideous noises. On one
occasion, in South Africa, / drove off
the enemy from a friends garden by
making four heaps of damp rubbish
one at each corner-in preparation.
and then, lighting them at the proper
moment, we dispersed the advance
guard, our columns of thick smoke
being carried by the wind upon the
main body, which altered its route.
Horses and oxen. their heads and nos
trils tormented by the clinging limbs
of the swarms, were boiling away to
the woods, kicking and plunging in
their hasty flight. A kissing, crack
ling sound arose on all sides. the whole
air seemed tie be occupied by the fall
ing and flying imps of mischief. The
''locust BIRDS Ga kind of crane)
lowered in small parties on their
TANKS, and subsisted on very
small percentage of the insect
hosts. In desert localities the hungry
pests actually pitched on bones, mat
ting, sticks, ETC., and falling in a meal
attacked and devoured each other. On
another occasion l drove for miles
along a sandy tract, the wheels of the
vehicle crushing myriads of the newly
Matched insects, all crawling and creep
ing, with migratory instinct. toward
the cultivated tracts. In India, locust
visits are fewer between, but far more
formidable, owing to the overwhelming
masses. Sometimes a series of clouds,
COlupOSeu VI IHelI nlSulS, cover SeNeltl
miles simultaneously. Fortunately,
there are several birds and beasts in
quest of their bodies, and have even
seen them saltcd. dried and sold in the
markets. l have often inspected dish
of curried locust, but could not bring
a sufficient amount of curiosity TO bear
on the tasting experiment, though IL
prawny odor went up with the steam.
The fishes are great devourers of these
winged visitors, for they fall into lakes
and rivers during changes of wind and
weather. Besides fires made of green
rubbish at top, found gunpowder ex-
plosions very useful in soaring them
away from the vicinity of my garden.
When several successive hordes alight-
ell on my grass land loaded my gun
with dust shot, and. STOPPING low on
the ground, discharged the contents of
both barrels into their midst. Having
done so several times I enjoyed the
welcome sight of seeing them rising
into the air and going elsewhere.
have no doubt a small cannon on such
occasions heavily loaded with sharp
sand would hasten their flight. En-
OliSh Mechauic