Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1889-06-28
THg tsRAssH OFFERS.

EUvDaDSe VOurte.
Tho erssshopprn arc gradually.
moving in this direction, and Is they
are beginning TO fly no ono can pre-.
dict where they will slighs and stop
during next winter. They have dc.
voured every green stalk, spear, or
blade on Camas Prairie, only leaving
some barley untouched. They seem
to fancy about everything tina. is
green, and growing, bu. do not touch
grass that is cut This having been
observed, many ranchers on seeing the
advance OF the swarms, hastily cut
their grain down and thus saved il
for hay. But the farmers are eener.
ally cleared ont Of abou: all growing
crops, and will not have half enough
hay to winter their stock, while they
will be compelled to buy grain for
seeding, this fall and next spring.
Several ranchers have already left for
Montana or Puget Sound, expecting
to work for q season at good wages,
and return to start anew. Those
who have not proved up will, as q
matter OF precaution, obtain leave of
absence from the officers Of the
United States Land Office, so that
their entries will be safe in their alb.
sence. This is believed to be the
last year Of the pest, and the ranchers
will 60 to work, next spring, with re-
newed energy to rebuild their shat
tered fortunes.
This is the third year of the grass.
hopper visitation on the Prairie. The
first year they we're seen on High
Prairie. No one knew how they got
there, and no one paid any particular
attention to them, as they merely ate
! the bunch grass and there was not
much stock in the vicinity. Last
year they appeared as far East as
Babbington's, this side of Corral
creek. There were millions of them,
and the ranchers whose premises
were visited were literally cleared
out. But that was nothing compared
to the numbers this year, as they are
now said to cover the ground from
within few miles of BOISE City to
Smoky Peak, at the head of Willow
creek. They are so thick and so
numerous that they literally cover
the ground for stretch of 80 to 80
miles and width OF Is to 20. They
are much thicker, however, in cult
waited ground. There they Chamber
over each other, three or four thick,
stopping for nothing. If they come
to house they do not 90 around, but
just crawl up one side and down the
other; if they run across wagons,
horses, etc., the same. They travel
in a northeasterly direction, and it
does not matter how the wind is. If
it blows a gale, they do not turn
back, but simply stop, pile up three
or four deep, and stay there until it
moderates. They crawl about four
feet per minute; but many are now
getting their wings and, of course,
fly at much more rapid rate of ad-
vance.
AS above stated they do not touch
barley. Near Crichton there is large
field of growing barley. This caused
them to turn to the northeast and
southeast-one "army" of the swarm
going in one direction, the other in
the other direction. The last will
probably come out in the lower Wood
River valley and proceed down Silver
creek to the lava, where it will starve
to death; the other may pass over
Smoky near the head of Warm
Springs creek and the South Boise,
thence down the Salmon river to
N ontana. If this proves to be the
case the upper Wood River valley
may escape them altogether. But
such luck can hardly be in store for
us. Our resident population had
therefore better be on the lookout
for them, and when they come cut
down everything liable to be destroy.
ed or to furnish the pest sustenance,
SO as to be sooner rid of them.
They are expected to reach the
Montana line about the end OF
August.