The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1911-01-20
LOCUST PLAQUES.
Onslaught Of ne Ravenous Tribe
During an Invasion.
GLuTToNs BY TIE MILLIONS.

The Devastating Armies FIX In Clouds
I, Dense Enough to Ohsoura the Light
Of the sun-The Hoppcrs That Come
After the Crops Are Devc ured.
| There are several epecses or varieties
of the migratory Ncpst which are
mostly to be found in dry. semitropical
countries. such as the south OF Eu-
rope. Egypt. Syria aud Morocco, Tor
their native home seems to be In the
countries bordering on the Meditcrra.
mean. though migratory iocusts are to
be found in regions as remote as South
Africa and South America. where they
form a veritable sccurge to the agri-
culturists. In Argentina. especially
the northern half Of the country. they
are very destructive. for they will an.
nihilate the farmers entire crop in
few hours.
A locust invasion. writes John y.
I,eckie in Chambers Journal, is an
event not easily forgotten. The first
sign Of the approaching incursion Is
usually long. dark cloud low on the
horizon. But the dark cloud il no
forerunner of rain. Instead VI the
precious liquid. which the farmer has
probably long expected in vain. 1t poF-
tends the approach of his greatest en-
envy, the omnivorous locust.
I AS the dark cloud comes nearer 1t IL
seen to be composed Of countless mil
lions of locusts on whirring wings.
Soon the cloudSappea overhead and
is sufficiently thick to obscure the sun.
i which is only seen opaquely. as
through a mist. although the sky Is
cIoudless and the air clear.
/ Now we are in the midst of dense
swarm of flying. whirring locusts.
which dash into our faces. enter our
houses aud fill our rooms with their
presence. The air is simply alive with
them. All open wells must be instant.
ly covered or they will be polluted.
Fowls and turkeys welcome the ad-
vancing bordes. They simply fatten on
the locusts as they run around ana
gobble them up. But this is no bless
ing to the farmer-far from 1t. for the
flesh Of poultry becomes so tainted By
this form of diet as to be quite I'M
eatable, and even their eggs have an
unpleasant taste.
So we'll is this fact known that as
soon as the locusts make their appear
ance in the locality the price of eggs
drops to one-half or one.third of their
former figure, and even then there are
few buyers. All the animals about the
far.nyard seem to be affected adverse
iy, for even the horses have a strong
aversion to eat grass which has been
polluted by the presence Of locusts. and
unless very hungry they VIII not touch
1t.
The advance of the iocusts taxes
place as follows: First a few pioneers,
the advance guard OF the vast array,
then the main body of the army. host
which is as invincible as It Is deStruc-
tive. All true locusts are migratory by
nature, for the simple reason that, be-
Ing gregarious in their habits. 1T would
be Impossible for them to exist with
out continual migration.
!; The ground ON which they settle Is
completely cleared in few hours. anq
they must perforce seek other fields
and pastures new. where they can re-
peat their depredatiogs. For the same
reason the destruction which they If
feet is purely local. One district may pc
completely devastated. while another q
few miles away is altogether spared
from their presence.
/ When the locusts have eaten their
81! the females commence to deposit
their eggs, which they do by making
an opening in the ground, in which
the eggs are laid. The infant locusts
soon make their appearance. scarcely
so large as y pea, hopping about IN
countless swarms. Up this stage OF
their existence they have no wings,
but progress by hopping. While ~
this state that is, before their wings
are deyeloped-they must be ruthlessly
destroyed.
Long trenches are dug. into which
the "hoppers'' are driven by rows oi
men, women and boys armed With
branches of trees. with which they
beat the sro.Nd. driving the insects in
the direction of the trenches. On the
opposite sides of the trenc hes sheets OF
galvanized iron are rlaccG upright SO
as to form an effectual baxter.
On arriving at the trenches the hop
pers" fall into them ana eannot easily
make their way out, especially az
their progress is barred by the wall o.
galvanized iron in froE, ct them, TAP
smooth surface Of which affords them
nO foothold
The trenches are soon dl'ed with MIL
lions Of young hopper, :" the weigha
of those above crushing 70 death tae
under strata Of their fellows. Earth
is then shoveled on the top OF the
seething mass Of insects, and they are
thus smothered and killed.
This is the most effective method OF
DISCRIMINATING the locusts. Tut in order
to insure the success of the operation
It is necessary that the cttempt should
be properly organized and that all the
neighbcrs should act In concert
Providence Journal.
Tho Right Spirit.
"Did Mrs Blown take her husbands
$af1ura In the RIGHT spir{t1N