Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-05-24
DELIGHTFUL MAY RECEPTION.
THE Insects sre Noticed In Many Places
10 the County Great Damages Likely
to be Caused 10 Trees.

to be Caused 80 Trees
Cieadas or seventeen-year locusts,
are beginning to emerge from the
ground in Berkeley county and in
many places can be seen holes IN the
ground out Of which they have crept.
Mr.. Geo w. VanMetre who will
observe the appearance and ravages Of
the pest in this section for the United
States Department of Agriculture,
has taken into captivity number Of
the i1sects which emerged from his
ward, one OF which he handed an
Evening World representative
While surveying in Back Greek Val
ley this week Mr.. VanMetre came
upon hundreds of holes In the ground
made by the locusts which are about
TO emerge from them. The insects
come out of the ground from depth
OF six feet. In Mr.. VanMetre's ward
where an old apple tree once stood
are dozens of holes through which To-
Gusts either have emerged or VIII
emerge. he caught several OF them
as they were emerging and now has
them in his possession.
This is the best kind OF weather
for the appearance of the lo1usts. Ii
there had been q hard rain at this
time many of them would have
drowned as thew were about to
emerge from the ground. but with
the hot sun to aIve them life they
will emerge from the ground during
the next few DAYS in all their glory
and will swarm the surrounding coun-
try. Consequently the fruit growers
are now confronted with the greatest
pest that ever visits their orchards.
There may be no such thing as an
chronological probability, but there
is one entomoglcal certainty and that
is that the seventeen year locust is
dre this year. Once each seventeen
years with as much regularity as the
sea serpent or the failure of the Del
aware peach crop, what is known to
science as the periodical oicada. or
seventeen year locust, appears.
1t descended nptn manv parts OF
the United States in 1868, devastating
the fields, devourlng the CROPS and
leaving the sections visited quite
bare of vegetation. many Thousands
CT persons suffering for want OF food
and much live s-oca being lost for
want of snstenance After that not
again until 1885 did the locusts make
their appearance with the same dis
astrous result.
The appearance of the clcada has
been regularly recorded since 17l5
every seventeenth year. The locusts
do great damage 10 forest trees, es-
pecially oaks and hickories. to fruit
trees, TO berry and the bushes and to
wheat and corn.
! Ii is predicted for this summer
that myriads of these insects Will
swarm over Southern N5w York,
New Jersey. Pennsylvania, part of
Ohio, part of West Virginia, Virgin
ia, North Carolina. Georgia, Della
ware, District OF Columbia, Michigan.
all of MARYLAND and Indiana.
The locusts make their first attack
on Young trees. The tender shoots
are split and the cavities filed with
eggs. The insects that are expected
have heen developing fro these eggs,
/ 4 seventeen years. Ii Is not reas-
suring tosnow that the cicadas of this
year have wings and equipped for the
work of destruction.
1t should be understood that in
these localities the sett lemeut OF the
country has had a strong effect to-
I ward breaking up the swerms into
isolated portions. Consequently. in
many places where cicad a. emerged
thirty four years ago none NAV be
seen this year Persons contemplate
! ing tie setting out of orchards should
therefore ascertain from old residents
| whether the insects aDpeared in the
Immediate vicinity seventeen years
ago. If this is the case. 1t Is by all
means advisable to derer the trans
planting of trees till fall, or If the
climate does not permit fall planting.
until the spring OF 1903. In orchards
the less pruning done this spring the
less will be the damage the trees are
likely to ssuffer, as this operation
tends to concentrate the punctures
nv leaving little new growth. Like
| wise, wherever CON- enient, budding
and grating, which cause favorable
places for the deposition of eggs
should be avoided,
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