Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-02-07
Biz ".Iz-Year Locustv
Brood Due This Year

the mystry disappears but the inter-
est. u anything. IS intensified. One
of the aueerest things In nature is
that In spite Of such extremely slow
growth In their subterranean habitat.
all the millions Of individuals attain
maturity and burst from the ground
at almost the same moment.
cieada's Appearance Forstsld.
Every locust year. is, in some sort.
A year OF fear and dread. II appears
to have been so with the savages and
has remained so with their civilized
successors. notwithstanding the fact
that the cicada has been under invcs-
tigation for well over 200 years. and
the appearance OF the swarms are
! foretold by entomologiets as accur-
ately as eclipses of the moon are fore
told by astronomers. People have fan
cied that they could detect In the cry
of the cicada resemblance u the
name OF the monarch. Pharaoh, that
prosecuted the Israelites. and that &C.
cult belief or fear added TO the some
what dolorous sound has served to
make the cry of the cicada generally
an unwelcome one. Very long ago
some superstition attached TO the
dark bars of the filmy wings. These
| bars are always In the shape OF the
letter W, but few people remember
that thru a period of thirteen or sew
enteen years. and great significance IL
attached to II at each recurrence. Some
! prophet has arisen always TO announce
that the w on the iocust's wings
means war" Since this outbreak
will come Just at the conclusion of the
greatest war, and when even the
| imas nation of the rural prophet
could hardly conjure UP the likelihood
of another one. some new explanation
will apparently have to be found this
time But no doubt the cicada will.
as usual. be greeted as a harbinger OF
disaster, and as usual. there will be
reports OF deaths caused by stings OF
the cicada, a belief that has persisted
in spite Of positive proof that the ci-
cada has no sting, that only by the
extremist accident could II inflict a
wound either with bill or ovipositor
and that IL could not. IN any case, in
ject a poison.
ANY attempt to dispei the myths
that recur as faithfully as the cicada
is likely to be unavailing since those
who still believe in them probably will
continue to do so regardless OF any
thing that may be said. There is, how
ever another erroneous belief that may
be somewhat shattered By statement
Of the facts and that constitutes the
main reason for press agenting the
Cicada in advance OF Its arrival.
Injury is Usually Overestinn ated.
Upon appearance Of large broods or
the cicada, fear is aroused that trees
will be destroyed, particularly young
trees of the frditing and ornamental
species. There would seem to be some
ground for such fear. the number OF
the insects is so tremendous that one
can hardly understand how they can
deposit their eggs in the young and
tender branches of the trees without
killing them. Yet the fact remains
that there have been outbreaks OF CT
Cadas in some sections Of the United
States in most every year since this
country was discovered and that no
very grave damage has yet been done.
Very young fruit trees sometimes are
killed or seriously injured, but little or
no permanent injury is done to forest
trees or mature trees OF any kind and
| measures of protection can be en-
ployed that will save the young and
tender stock from serious injury.
Inasmuch as the coming 1919 brood
OF locusts MAJ be one OF the largest
on record. Il is particularly important
to allay excessive fear OF destruction