Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-02-21
SEVENTEEN YEAR L0CUSTS.
They are Due in June-Augusta One O
the Counties to be Visited.

These enemies of young trees and
pests of the farmer arrive in June.
They are scheduled to appear in nine
teen States in the District of Colum
bia.
Virginia is one of the States to which
they come. Here are the counties
where the farmers will have to combat
them and suffer the consequences of
their visit: Alexandria, Augusta, Car.
roll, Clarke and adjoining counties,
Fairfax, Frederick, Loudoun. Spottsyl-
vanla. Warren and Wythe.
The farmers of Virginia are all
familiar with the seventeen year To-
Gusts, as they are commonly called.
FOR many years the great problem
with them has been how to get rid of
them, or more correctly how to save
the young trees from them There is
absolutely no way to get rid of them
They will come. 1t is exceedingly
fortunate that they don't come oftener,
or there would be no living in the same
world with them.
NOT MANY COUNTIES AFFECTED }
Virginia is particularly fortunate
But few counties of the State ever
have them, for they do not seem to be
ambitious about migrating. They
spend their small lives in perpetuating
their species
The report from the United States
Department of Agriculture gives the
following history of this pestiferOus
but exceedingly unique insect:
1.-The young ant like laroa Matching
from the eggs few weeks later, es-
capes from the wounded limbs, falls
lightly to the ground and quickly bur-
rows out of sight, forming for itself a
little subterranean chamber OF cell over
some root-let, where it remains through
winter and summer, buried from light,
air and sun, and protected in the same
manner from cold and frost. 1t lives
in absolute solitude, separated form its
fellows, in Its moist earthen cham Der,
rarely changing its position save as
some accident to the nourishing root
let may necessitate it's seeking another.
In this manner it passes thirteen or
seventeen years of its hypogeal exist
ence in dark cell, in slow growth and
preparations for few weeks only of
the society of its fellows, and the en-
joyment of the warmth and bright
ness of the sun, and the fragrant air OF
early summer. During this brief per-
iod of aerial life it attends actively to
the needs of continuing its species,
sluggish in movement, rarely taking
wind, and seldom, if ever, takes food.
For four or five weeks the male sings
bis song OF love and cOurtship, and the
female busieS herself for little longer
period, perhaps, with the placing OF the
eggs which are to produce the subse-
quent generation seventeen or thirteen
years later. At the close of its short
aerial existence the Cleada falls to the
ground again, perhaps within a few
fet of the point from when It issued,
to be there dismembered and scattered
about, carpeting the surface of the
ground with its wings and the frag.
ments of its body"
MOST INTERESTING OF INSECTS.
The report again says: 1.-THE periodi-
cal or seventeen year Cleada is, in the
curious features of its life history, the
most anomalous and interesting of all
the insects peculiar to the American
comment.
"This Cleada is especially remarka-
BILE in it's adolescent period, the fea
lures of particular divergence from all
other insects being its long subter-
ranean life of thirteen or seventeen
years, during all of which time it's ex-
istence is unsupported and uninIicated
by any superficial sign, and the perfect
reg ularity with which at the end of
these periods every generation, though
numbering millions of individuals, at
| talns maturity almost at the same mo-
] ment."
! SOME ARRIVE EVERY YEAR.
1t wouldn't be so bad if the locusts
| didn't come but once in seventeen
years. But there are a number OF
broods of locusts and they come to
| some section of the country every year.
| Ii it ism It the time for the seventeen
year pests to arrive, it is for the thir-
| teen-year gentry, Or some other brood.
They all have the same intent of lay
ing eggs and incidentally killing all
the young trees that get IN their way.
In the middle west they destroy thou
sands of dollars worth of property.
They are dreaded like prairie fire.
| In his annual report, soon to come
from the printers, Mr.. Koiner, the
commissioner of agriculture, warns the
farmers of Virginia against them, and
gives remedy for keeping them off
young trees, which he has himself tried
and found to be effective. In fact, he
thought out the remedy.
1t is, briefly stated, as follows: Lop
off the outer limbs of the tree, cover
with cheese cloth, and wrap the body
of the tree with newspapers. The lat
ter keep off evil here too.
There is mystery about the locusts;
everyone is interested by the mysteri-
GUS.