The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-01-09
seventeen-Year Locusts Again Due.

Next season the seventeen-year To-
Gusts will be due. and some instruc-
tions regarding the course to pursue
will now be timely. The Pennsylva-
mia State College issued report re-
gardlng these locusts, in 1889, while
New Jersey and Ohio have also issued
bulletins. The Pennsylvania State
College has also issued q recent bulle-
tin, which is sent free TO all upon APP
plicatlon. According 10 information
sent out from the college the brood
of locusts of 1885 will be due next
season in the counties of Bedford,
Fulton, Huntingdon, Mfliin, Juniata,
Perry, Franklin, Adams, Cumberland,
York. Dauphin. Lebanon, Lancaster,
Berks, Chester, Delaware, Bucks,
Montgomery, Lehigh and Northamp-
ton. The cicadas or seventeen-year
locusts, may not appear over the whole
of the section mentioned, but may be
expected wherever the conditions
heretofore have been favorable for
best breeding places are the brush
covered and woody pasture lands. In
asmuch as seventeen years Is liable
to make a good deal of difference in
the utilization of land, 1t is quite prob
able that in some places lands which
seventeen years ago were not in culti-
walton, and were good breeding
grounds of cicadas, are now cultivated,
and upon them and in their neighbor-
hood the insects, true TO their nature,
may be expected to appear, and per-
haps in dangerously large numbers.
In many places the older residents
are able TO locate such grounds.
IL young fruit trees or shrubs are
on land subject to the appearance of
the cicadas, there will be liability next
year of serious injury and mutilation
by the egg-laying process, as the habit
of the cicada is to select small twigs
into which it proceeds to cut in order
to make suitable places for its eggs.
Those who contemplate setting out
young trees should, therefore, be care
full to learn IL they are on or near
"locust ground" Of seventeen years
ago, and if they find that there is risk
should defer planting until the danger
has passed.
The cicada lays its eggs during
June, but may begin to lay a little
earlier in the Southern counties than
in the Northern tier; hence by July 1.
ut the latest the egg-laylng will have
been completed and all injury accom-
fNlig . kf, or
too great risk to set out trees 1t
would be well not to prune the trees
closely on setting, postponing such
work until July The pruning may
then be done. and the twlgs burned
that are removed, so as to destroy the
eggs. AS the clcada puts in its ap-
pearance at regular seasons all prep
aratlons to meet it can be made in
advance. The insects may appear in
reduced numbers, or may have been
exterminated in some localities, but
should 1t fail next year it will be the
first time in 1877 years.
There is also a thirteen-year locust,
but it is a different insect in character
istics from the other, appearing most
ly in the South. The eggs of the
seventeen-year Iocusts are deposited
in grooves of the twigs and hatch in
about six weeks. After being hatched
from the eggs the young locusts fall
to the ground and burrow In the earth,
going down TO from three to twenty
feet, where they remain and feed upon
the roots of trees or plants.
While in the earth they shed their
skins several times, and ut the proper
time tunnel upward, ascend the trees,
again shed their skins, and are then
ready for the work of propagation.
They begin to ascend about June /,
n little earlier sometimes. and after
sunset. They do not cause as much
erlng their great number, but, never
theiess, do sufficient injury to cause
them TO be unwelcome visitors. Any
effort ut destruction of the insects
would be almost OF no avail, as such
work would be laborious. The best
course to pursue is to endeavor to
avoid them as much as possible by
refraining from setting out young
trees, as stated, and leaving the prun-
ing Of any trees that may already have
been set out until the LIST OF July. AS
they viii not again appear until 1910.
they are not really as harmful as some
OF the more injurious pests that an
nually infict farmers and fruit grow
ers. Philadelphia Record.