Evening star., 1938-02-27
The Crasshoppers Are
Coming Again
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

1888 is to be a greater trouble year be-.
cause OF these pests than 1887. Such is
the prediction of the eminent scientists
who delve into the lives and habits of q
thousand insects that rob man of some
Of his happiness and cheat farmers and
orchardists OF much Of their hard-earned
labor.
Last year "a States were vitally affected
by grasshopper visits and although pre-
ventive measures were applied to check
these pests, at a cost of more than q
million dollars to the Federal Govern
ment, losses amounted to nearly $685.
100000 But to Offset this combined
loss, more than 100000 900, according
to conservative estimates, was saved
through the use of nearly 10000 tons o
poison bait. This tonnage is to be in
creased to approximately $4,000 this
year in order to ward of, and eradicate
as far as possible, the grasshopper
scourge.
The grasshopper is not a modern-day
pest since early records show that the
Jesuits, who started missionary work in
California in 1897 first came into con.
tact with these insects in that locality
in 1922. The next appearance of the
grasshoppers in that region was in 1746
and remained for three years. Their
next visits were made in 1853, 1754, 1766
and 1857.
In the year 1855 grasshoppers did great
damage in Washington, Oregon. all the
valleys Of California and the then Terri
tory of Utah. So great was the number
OF these grasshoppers that in many To-
callties the air was so filled as to obscure
the sun. Every green vegetable sub
stance was destroyed, leaving agrcultur-
lists with losses that could not be repaired
Sections of Kansas, Nebraska and Min
nesota territories were visited by great
hordes of grasshoppers in 1856, destroy
ing nearly all growing crops
The spread of grasshoppers has in
creased in the past several years. While
their damage is confined principally to
"a OF the 48 States, every State is afflicted
to some degree with the grasshopper
menace. Even in the States not classed
as grasshopper regions. gardens are seri-
ously damaged by the presence of a small
number of these vegetable destroying
creatures Dry weather In September
and October is always an assurance of a
greater number of these insects.
Grasshopper plaques are often associ-
ated with vegetation destruction by the
insect commonly referred to as the IT.
year locust. a name that is incorrect in
at least two particulars: % It is not a
locust at all. that name being properly
applied only to members of the grass
hopper family. and 60 while 1t has a
l7-year period, 1t also has q 13-year
period. 1t has been so long miscalled by
the name OF locust, however, that there
is no hope of divesting it of that incor-
rect appellation, and in the regions
where there is the longer period Of recur-
renee 1t will continue to be known as the
l7-year locust, and in the areas of the
shorter recurrence period as the l3-year
locust. The scientifically accepted name
OF periodical cicada, however, is the only
one that exactly fits.
E+ X
The cicada is one OF the most inter.
esting insects in the world. The mystery
OF this insect is the main point Of its
great interest, for it appears in countless
numbers one year, then is not seen again
in such numbers for many years-usually
IL or II. When it is known that this
insect spends the 13 or II years in slow
development beneath the earth and
emerges at almost the same spot where
1t entered the interest in this creature
lntensif1es. One OF the strangest things
IN nature is that in spite of such ex-
tremely slow growth in their subterra-
mean habitat, all the millions Of individ-
uals attain maturity and burst from the
ground at almost the same moment. The
first two weeks in June is the period in
which the cicadas put in their appear
ance. Although the adult cicadas take
practically no food, the trees in which
they lay their eggs, especially pear, apple
and peach trees, are severely pruned and
in some cases damaged.
The cicada has been under investiga-
ton for more than 200 years, and the
appearance of the sWarms is foretold by.
entomologists as accurately as eclipses
OF the moon are foretold by astronomers.
Ihe year 1868 was the greatest locust
year in history. Periodically since then
the country has been inflicted with these
pests. although every year is a locust
year in some part of the country.
Entomologists assume that genera
tlons ago the periodical cicada was rep
resented by single brood. In course of
time, however, geographic, climatic and
topographic factors brought about
changes and the brood was broken up
into many, each restricted to well defined
districts and each reappearing at reeu-
lar intervals. Broods of the 17-year
c1cadas are now found in many Eastern
and Northern States. In the South the
insect is represented by blood brother
that is able. because of more favorable
environment, to complete the life cycle
in 13 years. In 1919. by coincidence, the
17-year brood and the 13-year brood ap-
peared at the same time. However. the
combination did not exceed the ravakes
OF 1868, largely because of scientific con-
troll. The last large outbreak OF the
cicada was in 1928 and the next appear
ance is scheduled for 1945,
The insect plague is visited upon
nearly every part of the world. and has
been known from early Bible times. st.
John the Baptist is spoken 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 as food. and presumably will keep
on doing so as long as huge swarms fly
out Of the desert.
~ **
Some years ago South Africa was
visited by great hordes of these pests.
The sun was hidden by an enormous,
almost solid, mass of flying brown locusts.
They passed in millions-billions-
ads. Upward, as far as the eye could see.
the blue sky was completely hidden In
many OF the streets of cities they formed
carpet inches thick. having been tram