Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-06-28
ARE LOCUSTS
GOOD TO EAT?
Curious Insects Said to Make Ex-
cellent Pie.
THE DISH NOT VERY POPULAR.
Indeed, There is Dark Doubt on the
Subject---Farmers Dread Ravages
Among Trees and Plants.

hNoNH AS the ApNhSit NutIus dtNet A4iAE
TO its family traditions, visits and pays
its respects TO the outside world once
in thirteen or seventeen years, and
which is now appearing in this section
of the country. has furnished much
food for discussion among scientists.
students and farmers.
In addition to these there are others
who anticipate with pleasure the ad
vent OF the locust. for whatever might
be said about the strange creature.
in spite OF its destructive ability and
its appetite for choice foliage. il has
one good quality which was probably
discovered by no less a person than
John the Baptist, when he decided
that specimens which he found in the
desert were good to eat
In the present age the food has been
made more tasty than the raw product.
according 70 many country persons. who
have found locust pie very good and
nourishing, not to say rare. Here is
cooks recipe for locust pie: y used
about fifty locusts for my pie. | first
scalded them and trimmed off their
wings. legs and heads. Then | put
them in a wooden bowl chopped them
mixed them with stale bread soaked
in milk. and prepared them like Ham
burger steak added sugar aud rhu-
barb as a flavor and cream to soften
the ingredients, which ! put in a reg
ular pie bottom and covered with a
crOss-Open top. The pies were then
placed in an oven and baked"
Popular favor, however, is not in
clined to this dish Indeed. there is
grave doubt as to whether it is pala-
table. and gTaver doubt that the locusts
appearing now are IN any way related
TO or descended from that particular
species utilized by John the Baptist,
food by pressure ofcircumstances, of there
Even he was doubtless forced to the
being very little fertility and less food
i'm the particular section where he
chose to seclude himself
The visitetion of the locust and his
brethren is always a source of dread
TO the farmer. Its ravages cause him
no little worry. and there is nothing
pleasing about the onslaught except
the fact that the bug lives only thirty
days or so. The seventeen-year locust
is the most dreaded of all In scien-
tific circles it is known as the Cicada.
During the visitation of the locust
tribe the female cuts little slits in the
bark of trees and deposits her eggs.
while the male sits near and sings
merrily To the chagrin of the farmer,
she has the tendency of choosing a
fruit tree for her maternal operations.
The head of the locust is equipped
with sharp saving instruments with
which she cuts Sits in the tender
branches and deposits about a score
of eggs in each. Keeping up this op-
Grafton. she lays from 400 TO 600 eggs.
I After about five or seven days the
eggs hatch out and the young grubs
come forth. Very short is their stay
in daylight Almost at once they run
down the tree and bury themselves in
the ground Then begins the process
| of finding a home for the next seven
teen years. The home is generally in
the vicinity of a good juicy tree root,
about two feet under ground.
AT the visitation time the insects
come above ground. They build an
abode above ground, and rest for a
while. Later they make their appear
ance. AS soon as they are out they
make their way at once to some tree
or wall or fence, where they can climb
up and expose themselves TO the air.
In about one hour the skin along their
back opens and the full-grown locust
appears. Next day they leave for an
aerial exist ence that lasts about thirty
days. During this period they eat
very little. the female lays her eggs
and the male makes the noise so we'll
known to those in the country.
Many people fear the locust under
the belief that il stings. The best
scientists dsicountenance this idea.
Continued efforts on their part could
not induce the locust TO sting. Inves-
tigation, to, proved that he is not pos
sessed of a sting proper. nor of any
poisonous secretion that could do any
damage. The greatest locust year is
universally considered by men living
today to have been in 1868
The next simultaneous appearance
of the thirteen and seventeen-year To-
Gusts is figured to take place in 2OS7,
a consolation to the present genera
ton, indeed. Many superstitions are
recorded in connection with the appear
ance of the locust. One of the most
popular is that which holds the figure
on it's wings, which resembles a Wv"
IN Fnrana r.,ar