Evening star., 1919-04-13
|[0CUSTS RAVAGE
FERTILE FIELDS
Work of Pests in Algeria De.
picted by Geographic So
ciety Writer.

America will have visitation of
seventeen-year locusts this year. For
tunately the plague will not be as
severe az the sort that occurs in Al
geria, vividly described In the fol-
lowing communication to the Ma
tional Geographic Society.
at is impossible for any one who
has not seen a plague of locusts to
realize their size and numbers and
the horrors Of living for weeks at q
time in a country where locusts fly
into your face, enter your house and
even drop into your food.
"A south wind blew, and the locusts
came. They were probably the same
sort as in the days of Pharaoh and
the plague. At first they came in
small swarms. Men. women. and chill
dren were impressed to help battle
against this terrible foe, for where-
ever the locusts alight nothing green
remains when they pass on.
Turned Into Barren Desert.
1.-THE fertile plain. rich vineyards,
and verdure are in few hours turn
ed into a barren desert, with only
stumps and tree trunks with the leaves
gone ana Cnc DARK all OH.
at was curious sight to see hun
dreds of Arab and Spanish labofers
overseers, and even wealthy French
land owners themselves and semi
naked Arab children walking abreast
in an almost straight line, each beat
ing an old wooden pail. an empty box,
a vegetable can or a drum and blow
ing tin trumpet or twirling police
mans rattle. Each person or child
walks in a furrow to himself. and the
deafening noise keeps the locusts
of the plantations build fires and
make them smoke to keep away the
swarms Of locusts. ~
THE period OF incubation is twenty.
one days; then tiny creatures-called
nymphs-crawl out. They remain
quiet for two days and then begin to
eat. They eat and eat and eat
Men with torches burn the nymphs
by the millions. but they crawl out
Of the earth faster than the hand of
man can destroy them. The first one
to come out takes the lead, and the
others follow in swarms many feet
wide. They make a curious noise, like
the sound of the sea.
"It seems incredible that a thing SO
small and insignificant is so difficult
to destroy. Build great fires and the
nymphs will smother them. those in
front being burned by millions, and
those in the rear pushing on and pass
ing over the burned bodies of the
leaders. They will block and fill up
a sluggish African stream. and the
millions in the rear will pass over un-
harmed.
The government sends troops to
aid in the defense. for it means ruin
and starvation to thousands of peo-
Great trenches are dug and the
nymphs fall in, and when three
fourths full kerosene oil is poured on
them and they are set afire,. or else
earth is thrown on them to deptn
of about two feet. They can crawl out
few inches, but when deeply covered
they smother to death.
Young Locusts Most Destructive.
"The young 1ocusts are most de-
structive, selecting the choicest veg
etables or tender shoots and green
leaves. It takes weeks for them to
develop from a tiny. black nymph
into a full-sized locust. but they in
crease rapidly in size. and one can
almost see their legs and wings de-
velop.
of as having lived on locusts and wild
honey. From the earliest times the
tribes that dwelt on or near the great
deserts of Persia. Arabia and Africa
have eaten dried locusts rs food, and
they will keep on doing SO as long as
huge swarms fly out of the desert.
ARABS eat the flesh of locusts when
killed by themselves, but refrain if
their death has been caused by cold
or the hand of an infidel. as they are
then considered impure. Locusts are
eaten after the logs wings and heads
have been picked off.
They are either grilled or boiled
and prepared with native wheat. II
dried in the sun they are ground to
powder and mixed with goats or CAM
els milk and cooked In fat or but.
ter and salt. Almost every animal de-
YOURS locuets; even camels appear to