Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-11
HORDES OF 'HOPPERS
Beginning to Bother the Pennsyl-
vania Farmer and His Crops.
CABBAGES SUFFERING THE MOST.
Armies of the Pests Now Settling on all
Kinds of Vegetation.
SOME PECULIARITIEs OF THE INSECTS

Reference has been made to the plague of
grasshoppers in Ohio, and now farmers in
this section are beginning to be apprehen-
sive of loss. This seasons crop in this Sec
ton seems to have been developed since the
rains. Two weeks ago they were scarcely
noticeable, but now, in some meadows they
fly up in such masses as to almost hide the
ground before the traveller, and they appear
10 be unusually ravenous.
All farmers know when the locustade are
numerous that wooden machinery of any
kind will be perceptihly lightenediin an
hours time if left in a meadow, and fork
handles become so rough after giving the
grasshoppers a change of diet for few
minutes as to be uncomfortable in handling,
but this seasons crop seems to have better
appetite than usual
AN ATTACK ON THE CABBAGEs.
On Friday last a patch of cabbage
containing about a thousand late
plants. some six inches in diameter, nearly
three miles northwest of Remington post
office, presented a splendid appearance,
vigorous and OF the proper color. On sun
day evening there were not more than
dozen that were distinguishable at a hum
dred feet distance An examination re-
vealed a state of affairs that startled the
agriculturist. The plants were eaten down
close to. in some cases below the surface OF
the earth and on the dozen or so not entirely
consumed were found from 10 10 lOO grass
hoDpers on each plant. The same man has
another patch of about 5000 plants in
the same field that had not been touched,
and the only reason he could assign for their
Immunity was that this patch is bounded on
three sides by growing potatoes and on the
fourth by a wagon road. If however, the
insects take it into their heads to head for
that patch it isn't likely to escape, as poison
would have no appreciable effect on that
horde II each hopper took bite and then
gave up the ghost the cabbage would go any
how, without sensibly diminishing the army
camped on the border.
RESULT OF AN INSPECTION.
A farmer living near by said if the reporter
did not believe his story he might take a
walk about mile over to HIS hay-ricks and
see the devastation. Though the thermom-
eter was at 80, the visit was made, and the
trip was worth the cost. The hoppers had
dropped SO many crumbs from the table
while feeding that there was q deposit a
foot deep around the base of each rick.
They seemed to have eaten the timothy
stalks seeds and all down to the base, and
then finding more silica than agreed with
their taste, had dropped the remainder.
This farmer would give something to have
a mighty strong west wind, like that
which took away the locusts from the land
into the Red Sea.
A gentleman who was at Camp Kensington
on Sunday states that there is danger that
the tents of the \. G. p. will be devoured by
the grasshoppers, being so thick that the
point of your finger could scarce be put on
the canvas without coming in contact with
them. He said that he could catch the
guy-ropes, and by stripping them down
fill both hands, catching nearly a pint at a
time 1t would appear there is danger that
the soldier bows will wake up some morning
and be able to see the stars through their
tents, il indeed there be anything left of
them.
The 'hoppers like the cony, are a feeble
folk taken separately, and all the fight one
can make when caught by boy is to spit
the boys call it in some sections, but united
they are as terrible as an army with ban
neTs. They seem TO have been co-eXistent
with vegetation, but in the Bible they seem |
at times to be confounded in King James |
translation with locusts and the French
still speak Of both under the same name.
4 CONFUSION OF 'HoPPERS.
have been the one referred to by the Al
mighty in speaking to JOB, for he asks con-
cerning that animal with the thunder
him afraid as a grasshopper?" The two
seem to have been contounded in the de-
scriptiOn gi IN of the degenerate Sfnevites
by the prophet Nahum. He says, chapter
iii. verse IL, Thy crowned heads are as the
locusts and thy captains as the great grass
hOppers which camp in the hedges in the cold
day, but hen the sun ariseth they flee away
and theT place is not known where they
are"
1t is the fleeing away part of the pro-
gramme that the farmers are praying for,
though it is possible the ravages will last |
hut a short time If like John the BaDtist