Newark post., 1911-04-19
THE COMING lOCUSTS

The ,ocusts Iore .old tor this com.
ing season, TO visit this community
have been the subject OF controversy,
many contendng nat since we had
visitation in 1902, fixed laws make the
.next coming 1910.
II. A. Surface, State ZooIogist OF
pennsylvania, has exp aimed the matter
in the following statements:
You should und, rstand that there
are several broods OF The seventeen
year locus: or ccada. These broods
overlap each other al irregular inter
walls, and consequently insects OF
this species appear al irregular inteA
va in his State as well as in Della
ware. However, it is t'as lack OF
rhythmic intervals o. appeatan with
these OF any brood which are the des-
ccndants o, those vhat appeared at the
same place seventeen years previously,
which causes the confusion. While IT
is true that there is ore Crood OF these
insec:s iue in your State in 1910, there
certainl' is another brood cue and
will arrive at the time when they are
scheduled and not as yCu say, at any
old time during the summer of IoII.'
i
pie to delay the planting of trees un-
] til midsummer, when the locusts shal.
have passed. Consequently, you do
me an injustice in saying nat this 'is
really to be set down with the predic-
ton as more of the sort Of misinfor-
nation doled out 10 the putlic." /
have told the peop'e that where hes'
pests have appeared in numbers, it
would be advisable to cover young
'fees with netting or cloth OF sCme
kind so tha the locusts would not i1-
ure the small trunks or the branches
OF small or young trees. by saving
into ,'lem ,or the purpose CT laying
their eggs; and on gTOun that was
| covered with bushes. forests, etc, II
years ago, it is advisable to delay the
| planting of young trees this season,
| unless preparations are made Tor COW
ering them during the period he CT
cadas are 20 be present, which will be
| in June.
| have also said that it would be
! advisable TO delay the severe pruning
of young trees so that the injury is
egg-laving would be distributed over
the top OF the tree. rather than con-
centratei n branches that it is i'm
portant to save i'll forming the funda-
mental head of the nee
| | have never said that the locusts in
jured the trees by biting them, as
| well know they do not do SO, but
do know that they often effect con-
siderable injury to young trees by de-
,orming them at the places where" they
tear up me bark and wood to con-
| siderable depth, for the purpose OF in
serting their eggs. The injury may be-
come very severe and weaken the
young trees so that for years after
wards they are much more liable TO
| break at such places, and fungus germs
are particularly liable to enter there.
! 1t is true that many PERSONS have
| feared much greater damage from
| these pes.s han is liable to come This
is doubtless because there is a con-
fusion in the minds OF many with these
and the so-called Western locusts, as
wei as "he locusts mentioned in the
| Bible. The true locust" rs a kfnu
grass-hopper, which does a great deal
of damage by devouring plants. 1t is
| indeed to be dreaded in regions where
it occurs, but we do not have these
pests in destructive numbers in thi:
part OF the country. Our cicada is moi
a locust. and does not have biting
mouth, but it is provided merely with
a slender beak. II could not eat plants
or parts OF plants if it should try.
The main point is that there is ;
brood OF these pesss to appear in East
ern Pennsylvania New Jersey, Dela
ware, Maryland and extending int
Virginia this year, and it is likewise
true that fear of devastation from then
is greater han the real conditions will
| warrant.