The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-05

correspondence OF The Associated
Press.)
BUENOS AIRES, Nov. 6. - The
plague of locusts that has assailed the
crops of the northern provinces of the
republic is slowly working its way
southwark. These insects, together with
an unprecedented drought, threaten to
reduce the crops by half, and i'll some
sections by an even greater percentage.
The locust comes from some part of
the uncXplored region OF southern Bra
iii and pours over the country in great
streams so thick and long as to often
darken the sun. From Pena today there
comes despatch saving that a stream
extending over 30 ometers has set
tied upon the fields ard eft no green
thing in that part. The young, Matched
from the millions OF eggs deposited,
have in places covered the railway so
thickly as to impede traffic and trains
have been stalled until the insects
have been shovelled from the tracks
and burned in bitches.
The government is waging a vigorous
fight but seems to be making little
Roadway. The department for agricul-
tural defense has 2O,00O,000 meters Of
metallic barriers for the purpose OF
penning swarms which are then burned,
trampled by farm animals or burned.
This is accomplished because the
young locust is without wings 1t much
resembles young grasshopper except
its coloring is much brighter, red and
yellow, black and green, predominant
ing.
From the eggs of the flying locust,
which are always deposited on the hard
roads, millions of these bright hucd
hopping insects come to assault the
fields on either side. Besides the wire
barriers the government is also using
an apparatus which resembles a gaso-
line blow pipe. The farmers are being
| instructed to dig trenches about their
fields, driving the hopping locust into
| them and with the aid of the gasoline
| bloWpipe burn the mass. Millions have
already been thus destroyed but tele-
graphic reports from all over the
northern half of the republic report
other millions arriving.
! So serious has become the situation
that the government has threatened to
! fine all farmers who fail to maintain
corps of men for the purpose of fight
ing the pest, and the railways have
been asked to transport free Of charge
all locust fighting apparatus.
! Devastated fields threaten to occa-
sion the starvation of many head Of
cattle and the railways, at the request
of the government, have made Il - per
cent reduction III the rates for the
transportation of live stock, to remain
effective until February % of next
year. BY this means stock can be
hauled from the devastated regions to
provinces Of the south. The lives of
thousands of thousands of animals will
thus be saved.
The progress Of the swarms of fly
ing locust is daily being telegraphed
ahead, direction and speed of flight
being given so that the farms about to
be attacked can prepare. These tele-
graphic notices are published in the
press and have grown to occupy col
umns.
The linseed crop has already, gone
At times a million tons of this has
been exported annually to the United
States. The promised shortage of the
wheat crop has caused considerable
advance in the price of bread and the
Agrarian league has pctitioned the gov
crnment for the imposition Of an EN-
barge on the shipment of wheat in or
der 'tO obviate further exploitation OF
the republic. - This is the first time any
such request has been made in Ar
gentine, one of the wheat and meat
Ig+s. Il, 60 l.. 4