The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-07-24
A PLAGUE THREE FEET DEEP.
The Terrible Ravages of Locusts I'm Aus
fralia.

In ordor to check. if possible, the an
nual plague of locusts that devours the
herbage and blasts the hopes of graz
iers, farmers and fruitgrowers to
greater or less extent in December, the
government Of Victoria, Australia. pro-
claimed November and holidays for
scholars and shoolmasters in the rural
districts, in order that they might CO.
operate with the settlers in destroying
the young locusts in the early stage Of
their development before they have
been equipped with wings, enabling
them to take fight over the coun-
try to begin their work of devastation.
With this end in view preparations
We're made in numerous parts Of the in
terror to destroy the pest in various
ways. such as by beating with branches
the beds II the fields where the ~ yet
wingless creatures Were known 10 exist,
or in narrowing the ground, or turning
floclls of sheep upon the land. and also
by spreading straw over the plague spot
and setting fire to il. In such ways
vast destruction was done to the armies
of the young locusts in the early stage
of their existence.
1t was seen. however. says the Glas-
gov Herald, that the raid upon the YER
min should have been made somewhat
earlier. as numbers were already so far
advanced as TO he on the wing on their
mission of mischief; and, besides, the
attack on them was not 50 generally
made as was desirable in some districts
of Victoria, while north of the Murray
comparatively little effort was put forth
to cope with the evil, owing to the fact
that on the New South Wales and
r
the bulk OF the land is taken up with
large squatting runs, and population is
sparse there, thus giving the ravaging
locusts almost complete scope TO prop
agate.
People here can hardly conceive how
serious the locust plague is in these
colonies. Recently the reports came
that these creatures massed themselves
50 thicllly along some of the lines of
railways that, although the brakes
were Shut down, the trains could not be
brought TO d stand until they had gone
half a mile beyond the stations, owing
to the multitudes crushed beneath the
wheels, causing the trains to pass along
as if the rails were covered with oil.
The wheels actually slid along the rails.
In many OF the northern towns the in
habitants had 10 close their doors TO
keep out the invading hosts. The plague
has now fairly begun work. In the
southern parts of New South Wales
and some of the northern portions of
Victoria the outlook l. ominOus.
In and around Barnawatha, Victoria,
the insects are spreading IN swarms and
causing great destruction. 4 resident
Of that district reports that in travers-
ing that part OF the country in a buggy
the wheels of his vehicle were com
plctely imbedded in masses Of young
caterpillars and grasshoppcrs. which on
many extensive areas covered the
whole surface 10 depth Of about four
nohes. like a gigau1ic aad undulatiEg
coat of green paint"
- here the country presented any de-
preston IL was found impossible to pass
with a buggy, ana IN several favorable
ocalities. such rs loyv-lying lands, etc,
he insects We're surring about IN
masses some two or three feet deep
The ground in their wake l. quite Gcst.-
t1te Il rrass. Such are some Of the
breeding grounds from which the fully
developed creatures take fight to We ste
and destroy other parts of tle country.