Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-05-24

ground life OF the larvae Is never less
than seventeen years In the north.
and thirteen years in the south. The
different hroodS that infcst this coun-
try have all been duly identified and
classified. and the time Of the APP
pcarancr OF any one brood. can hc
positively forctOd. The first record
OF the locust was made by the pill
grims ut plymouth in 1884. and one
OF the quaint records of the time has
this TO say: Il numerous company
of flies which were like for higncss
10 wasps and bumblehrrs, they came
out OF the ground and did eat up all
green things and made such con-
stant yelling noise as 10 make all the
woods ring with them and nearly TO
deaf the hearers"
From that time to the present the
hroo,.S have been chartered as ac-
curatcly as tho reefs and hidden rocks
in ocean highways. and pAriodicity
and distribution have attracted the
attention of state and federal govern
m,uts II would bc interesting If We
could know how many thousand years
tn, locust ante dated the Indian. and
for how many ages II has b,rn ap-
pcarin@ about six times in Il century.
Th, number of brOods makes il pos
sillr for every year 10 he locust year
in some parts OF the United States.
As regular as clockwork the swarms
arrive on schedule time. At this time
the little locust children that have
been indoors for seventeen years. he
gin to move upwards. and by hum
Ircds and thousands. max" their de-
but or the stage OF action. With an
.rring instinct they all seek TO go
higher ana swarm mp fences. posts.
trees. brushes. weeds. polrS-anything
that is above the ground. where they
hay" lived so lon':. The? usually
leave the holes from sunset until
about ten o'clock. very few coming
ON later than that. and those that
are hclat"d wait patiently until th"
next night. .tftcr they have been ont
.ur IN hour or so. the skin on the
backs hu:.inS Ia split. ana one can luUn
| in and see the adult insect actually
taking form. In n few minutes Il
locust. aS tender and fresh aS a new
leaf. and the color OF cream and with
Two big red eyes. pulls itself out of
the old skin and crawls up little
higher on the bush. VI this stag"
four orange edged wings begin To un-
fold and in half an hour or less. tn"
| rapidly developing pupa has become
= full- grown. perfect locust. ready 10
enjoy To the fullest the few weeks of
They generally appear in the latter
part of May. and by the last OF June
they icgin To die off. and hy July the
| world is rid of them for another
hardly takes time to see what kind
OF world she has gotten into before
she starts out on Il hunt for suitable
place where she can deposit her five
or six hundred eggs. For cutting the
bark she is equipped with an ingcn-
ions little machine consisting of three
separated blades that slide back and
forth. Going out on 4 twig where the
bark is easily worked. she slits 81 neat
furrow in the bark. arrangcs about n
dozen eggs in n double row in the
opening. and keeps on repeating the
process until moi an egg IL left. For
egg planting purposes she prefers
fruit trees. oaks and hickorics--in fact
almost any t"Cc will answer the pnr-
pose except the pine. In few weeks
,ir-,T A.. i1 8, ,ii -T; sI1;1,,,s
little ant. matches. drops to the ground
and Immediately burrows out of sight.
Going deeper and deeper. il finally
| forms for itself n little chamber
| where II remains all 10y itself for
| ,;c'"ntc'n or thirteen years. II moults
| four times while living underground,
four years before ii is du" at the sur
face. After it has changed into the
pupa state the little creature that
has been content TO live in the dark
so long. feels new, strange impulse
to ascend. and up II goes. But so
ohedirnt is il to the law that nature
has laid down for it's guidance that
IL by any chance. II happens 10 reach
the surface ahead OF schedule time. it
builds little mud chimney over the
mouth OF it's hole and lives in that
until the appointed time comcs-C. ~.
ID. in Greenvillc News.