St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-12-03
LOCUST IS COMING
Two Giant Broods Are Due With
In Short Time.
Plea to Be Made for Birds That They
May Help In the Work Of De-
stroying Them-Render the
Greatest Service.

To warn farmers and orchardists
against the resurrection of the "sev-
enteen-year locust" or periodical
cicada" that will occur in certain
areas of this country next spring, a
call for preserving the wild birds that
destroy this pest is being issued from
the headquarters of the National AS
ISOLATION of Audubon societies, says
Houston Post. Two giant broods of
these remarkable insects, that come
to ravage orchard vegetation only
after incubation intervals of thirteen
and seventeen years, are set down by
scientists as due to descend upon this
continent within the next six months.
Only the birds that can be counted
upon to eat up by thousands the
units in this swarming locust plague
will avail to avert serious losses in
the coming season, it is declared
English sparrows, robins, woodpeck-
ers, orioles, scarlet tanagers, cuckoos,
gold-f1nches and nuthatches have been
proved by the government biological
survey to have rendered the greatest
service in devouring these periodical
cicada on their last raids of the coun-
try. according to the records that
have been searched by the Audubon
workers. Eating the soft bodies of
the locust pests, and their wings and
heads as well cat birds, fickers, tow
bees, gnatcachers, martins, peewees,
thrushes, vireos, chickadees and fly
catchers are among their other de-
stroyers. Only two species of the
birds examined at Washington have
been found not to feed upon these de-
structive insects. To protect these
birds and all other insect eaters
through the coming months is de-
clared to be an emergency measure
that must be seized upon by the
farmers of the land.
Shielded in tiny shells, the period
ical cicada are today preparing to
burst forth in countless multitudes
over the fields of both north and
south, the chronological experts de-
clare. Unnumbered hosts of these
weird insects will next summer slit
young trees and deposit to blight their
tender sprouts the eggs that Will
bring forth the species seventeen
years hence, 1t is assured. Apple,
peach and pear orchards and vine
yards will feel their destructive pow
err, the government authorities adj
NIT, unless abundant force of the wild
birds is preserved to lead the fight
against the impending insect plague.
Comprehensive state laws for the
protection of the insect-eating birds
and widespread efforts to shelter and
feed them through the storms of next
winter are advocated in this emerg-
ency by the National Association of
Audubon Societies, which has for
years urged the people of America to
consider such problems from the
economic standpoint.
"The fear of the locust plague that
is now spreading over the agricul-
tural sections only points sharply the
moral of our general campaign" said
William butcher, president of the Ma
tional Association of Audubon Socie-
ties at it's headquarters, al Broad
way. For years we have been work
ing to arouse the country to the dan
ger Of the destruction of the insect
eating birds, that will be invaluable
in this particular case as they are in
every case of insect pests. Since 1884,
when these so-called 'seventeen-year
Iocusts' descended upon the Pilgrim
fathers at Plymouth, the agricultural
prosperity Of this country has been
constantly menaced by insect en-
croachment that can be met only by
the birds that nature has provided as
checks, not as targets for pot hunt
orsn