The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-03-13
SEVENTEEN YEAR LOCUST EX-
PECTED TO APPEAR.
No Cause For Alarm
Once Regarded as Harbinger Of Dis
aster Now Known Only as In
sect Pest.

$ 0Xp6cLGQ Dy SClouIlSIS W po oAS VI
the worst 'locust years. on record.
Experts of the, department of agri-
culture, however, see nothing
alarming in the prospect.
Once regarded superstitiously as
harbinger of disaster, the periodical
cicada, popularly known as the II
year locust because it comes at long
intervals, and is seen now to be no
more than a non-poisonous insect
pest, which can do little damage II
proper precautions are taken. The
chief injury inflicted by the insect
consists almost wholly in chisellng
grooves in the branches Of trees for
depositing eggs. Young fruit trees
sometimes are killed, but the dam
age generally seems greater that it
actually is, according to the ento-
smologists, and popular alarm is out
Of proportion to the real danger.
Suggested precautionary meas
ures are:
Defer putting out young fruit
trees until next fear; postpone bud
ding operations; do no pruning this
spring.
When the insects begin coming
out, hand pick them from young
trees or spray them with pyrethrum
powder. kerosene emulsions, or so
lution Of carbolic acid or acetic acid.
Later, when the insects are ready
TO begin laying, spray young fruit
trees with whitewash.
The department of agriculture
has kept close check for many years
OF all the broods of locusts and can
forecast accurately when and where
the pests will appear. Large regions
VIII be affected this year where one
brood appeared II years ago and in
other regions which suffered 13
years ago, the States including Ala
bama, District of Columbia, Della
ware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massa-
schusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New
.Yofk, North Carolina, Ohio, Penn
,syIyania, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia
and Wisconsin.
Belief that the 1919 brood will be
exceptionally large is based on the
tact that the II year brood coming
out this year is brood 10, perhaps
the largest of the II year brood, and
that brood 1S> of the 13 year family
comes out at the same time. The
year 1868 was the greatest locust
year in history, when brood 19, the
largest of the 13 year family appear
ed in conjunction with brood 10 of
the II year family.
There will be three regions of
greatest occurrence of brood 10 one
covering New Jersey, Maryland and
Eastern Pennsylvania; another COW
ering all of Indiana, the greater
part of Ohio and Southern Michigan;
and a third covering Western North
Carolina, Eastern Tennessee and
Northern Georgia. While brood 10
will affect 20 States, brood Is will
appear in only five States Alabama,
Georgia, North Carolina, South Car
olina and Tennessee, and only limit
ed areas in those states.
G.. L. Mariatt, chairman of the
federal horticultural board, who has
perfected the information on the ci-
cada, calls the insect the most inter-
esting in the world, because of the
spectacular swarms in which it ap-
pears, it's queer recurrence at long
intervals and the portentous signif1-
canoe frequently attached to it. Ev-
cry locust year has been a year Of
fear and dread, even in civilized
times. Some people have fancied
that they could detect in the cry Of
the insect resemblance to the name
of the Egyptian monarch, Pharaoh,
who prosecuted the Israelites. Su-
perstition attached also to the shape
of the filmy bars on the cicada's
wings, which seemed to form the let
ter ''W," interpreted as a forecast of
war.
"Since the outbreak will come
just at the conclusion of the great
est war; Mr.. Mariatt said, "and
when even the imagination of the ru-
raj prophet could hardly conjure up
the likelihood Of another one, some
new explanation will apparently have
to be found"