The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1919-05-31

time.
The year 1868 was the greatest locust
year in history In that year, brood l9, the
largest of the 13-year broods, appeared in
conjunction with brood 10, the two combin-
ing to make an unprecedented infestation.
The coincidence of the largest 7-year brood
with smaller 13-year brood this year, will
not bring about conditions approaching
those of 1868
Brood 10 has the widest distribution of
any brood Beginning at the eastern eX-
tremity of Long Island, it sweeps west and
south of the Mississippi River at Cairo, Hi
nois, and extends as far north as central
Wisconsin and as far south as middle Geor
gia, with some isolated colonies as far north
east as upper Vermont, and one as far west
as the boundary line between Iowa and
| Nebraska The whole, or a portion, of
twenty states are included within this range.
The brood will appear over portions Of
the following states: Alabama, District
of Columbia, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massa
chusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tenn
essee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
and Wisconsin, CA map on the circular
shows that Indiana, southwestern Michigan,
western Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey east
ern Pennsylvania, northern Georgia and
eastern Tennessee will be especially hard
HIT
Brood Is, the 13-year brood that comes
out this year, is comparatively small brood,
and is made up of scattered colonies, rather
than Of the dense and compact swarms that
mark the larger broods. Five states are
effected BY it - Alabama, Georgia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee -
but it touches only limited areas of these
states.
Overlapping of the two broods will occur
only in the states of Tennessee, North
Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Fhe To-
Gust population will not be so dense along
the border line between the two races, but
it will be, nevertheless, one Of the large
locust years, unless weather and other con-
ditiOnS should serve to check the outbreak.
1t sometimes happens that late Spring
F.! freeze, over varying areas, destroys the
! greater part of the locusts before the time
arrives for deposting eggs, and other natu-
raj causes frequently tend to diminish the
possible devastation
of the country ranges from the last week
in MAY to the first week in June. Late in
Nav or early in June The under sides of
leaves on practically all trees in dense brood
areas will be studded with the cast skins, and
very wooded places will be resoundlng with
the shrill drums A month later. the de-
positions of eggs in branches will have be-
come general. Of forest trees, the oak and
hickory appear to be preferred, though
the cicada deposits eggs in all kinds Of
trees Of orchard trees. the apple is the
favorite, with peach and pear trees second
and all others, even grape vines, come IN
for some share of attention. In the case
Of large trees, only slight and temporary in
Jury is done. but with young orchards and
nursery stock the result may be fatal, unless
some protective measures are adopted.
Fear aroused by the presence of this in
sect is out of all proportion to the real dam
ace likely to be done, but people in infected
sections should apply such methods Of con-
troll as are possible. In young orchards and
nurseries, the safest method is the hand
collection of the insects at the time OF emer-
oence, or as soon afterWard as possible.
Every cicada tries to climb some plant or
tree immediately after coming out of the
Ground, and great numbers Of them can be
shaken off and collected in bags or UNI
hrelas. This practice may be continued
for an indefinite time after emergence, and
the work should be done early in the morn
inc or late in the evening, when the insects
are somewhat torpid and sluggish. If TN
dertaken at the first appearance and re-
heated each dav, control will be facilitated
bv the fact that most of the insects will be
on the Young trees or short branches, or
on the lower branches of large trees and
within comparatively easy reach.
Destruction Of the cicada may be &C
complished with insecticides, if applied at
the moment Of emergency from the ground,
or shortly after it has shed its skin and is
still soft and comparatively helpless This
kind of work can be made very successful IN
small areas but could not be applied on
large scale Best results are obtained with
Dvrethrum powder, kerosene emuls1ons and
2 per cent solution of carbolic acid, or
i per cent solution Of acetic acid, sprayed
directly on the insects.
Not much success has been attained with
washes or other applications to. prevent
oviDosition. Ill-smelline substances ap-
pear not to repel the cicada There are
some indications that the insect dlslikes to
sit on a white surface, and therefore white
wash is believed to possess some efficacy as
preventive oviposition. though the clcada
will oviposit on whitewashed trees if no
more pleasing place can be found. A spray
of Bordeaux mixture is also believed to
have some value as a preventive.
It is possible. of course. that the clcada