The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-12-11
Remembrance from GraSshopper
Year

Somewhere about 1871 large area
of New England. including this part
of Maine, was seriously afflicted by
gIassheppers. They swarmed down
on the country, devouring about
every green thing. Wheat. hay, oats,
barley and all kinds of grain. were
cleaned to the bare stocks. Even
corn, potatoes and similar crops
were destroyed. The leaves. especial
~ on the young apple trees were
devoured There was not. in those
days. such ready interchange between
one part Of the country and another.
Even had there been. the denuded
area was so widespread that supplies
would have been held at prohibitiye
figures As 1t was, the farmers of
this section made desperate efforts
To put in enough food for their do
nestle animals.
Coney Sanborn, now living on the
middle road 70 Waterville, about four
miles from town. remembers that
period very we'll. He WAS young
boy on his fathers farm. They
made their meagre store do until
about April. At that time the last
scrap OF anything that a COW or
horse would eat was cleaned ont In
this emergency they drove the ami
mails out into the woods 10 browse.
They made ii somewhat easier for
them by cutting large quantities Of
brush In some way they managed
to obtain a small supply OF corn
meal BY feeding a little OF this
each day and yet leaving the animals
desperately hungry. so that they would
eat literally of the birch beech and
maple tips. they Just managed to
pull through until the earliest pas
ture time Or course. the livestock
did not thrive. nor were they expect
ed to. Yet. if we recall the habits Of
deer. moose and caribou. the possibi-
lily of thus keeping neatstock alive,
in emergency, will not be so surpris-
ing These denisens OF the forest
may prefer other diet but for months
during the deep SHOWS eff winter they
can get at little else When the
one"' is unusually deep and especial
ly when thin crust makes travelling
disagreeable, they will sometime ga
Their in one spot and gradually feed
IRON the center outward, trampllng
only such snow as is necessary These
rendezvous are called yards and the
snow, in such cases. is we'll packed
down for considerable area.
Horace e. Spear of Lakewood re
members that grasshopper year very
wildly He aud his brother, Charles
II. were living on the farm near the
northwesterly shore of Lake Wesser-
unset. where Charles now resides.
rTNIs 81, Eg.I,t IL
animals through that Coney Sanborn
speaks Of They were favored in
this emergency to qlfite an extent.
On their farm, at the Lake shore,
there were five or six acres of marsh
land This same area is there now;
very little change The grasshop-
pers did not seem to like marsh grass
and perhaps the moisture made the
land unfayorable for their breeding
and growth : any rate. after the
scoul ge had passed by these five
acres presented about the only green
vegetation for miles around You
could not ,get onto the marsh with
a horse but it did hold up man 50
he could do moving. raking aud
pitching. albeit under some difficulty.
They cut this grass and piled 1t on
platforms, built up with posts and
cedar rails. just high enough to make
certain that ii would be above the
water line when the level of the LAKE
rose in the fall, as it customarily did.
In getting the grass to this platform.
they carried it in part on stretcher-
like devices, made by using two light
poles with boards laid cross-wise.
The forage was piled in stacks to pre-
vent it. as far as possible. from dam
age by rain After freezing weather
in the fall they drove out among the
stacks. loadoG On the marsh hay and
hauled it to the barn All this was
hayirg under difficulties but ii yield
ed ten or fifteen tons Of food mater
ial which, for that year. was very
precious indeed