11 



ARHOKU'ILTI'KK 



light from their moving wings gave the 

 appearance of a ilense snowstorm. The 

 people had grave forelMttiings of the destruc- 

 tion which was soon to follow. Field after 

 field of corn and all growing crops were 

 eaten in rapid succe.><sion. Trees were 

 stripped of their foliage in a day. Fruit 

 disappeared (juickly as the invading armies 

 entered an orchard. Peaches, unripe, were 

 gathered as never before. The flesh being 

 devoured by the insects, the seeds left cling- 

 ing to the leafless trees were all that re- 

 mained. < lardens were destroyed and every- 

 thing edible. 



The scourge of the Rocky Mountain 

 locust can never be forgotten by any who 

 witnessed this visitation. Nebraska, 

 Kan.sas. Iowa. Mi.s.souri. and Indian Territory 

 were great sufferers. 



The writer had a young nursery, the 

 yearling trees being tender and full of sap. 

 In a few hours these were destroyed, leaves. 

 bark and wood were entirely consumed. All 

 that was left was a bare tract of prairie 

 land, in which were a million holes where 

 the locusts had eaten the roots. All had 

 lost their crops, all were pioneers, many 

 were left in poverty. It was not known 

 how the people could live through the 

 winter. 



The life work of the locusts is finished 

 when they have deposited their egg.s, which 

 are placed in holes on the roadway, and 

 hard tracts (tf land, and the insects then die. 



During the winter jiowder and shot were 

 in demand, a general slaughter of birds 

 was in progress, so long as there were any 

 to slay. A thousand carloads of (juails and 

 prairie fowls were shijjped to Fastem 

 markets. 



" Snow and rain and frost came as usual, 

 but the tiny eggs were well ]irotected by 

 their varnish-like cover, and with the warm 

 days of spring began to hatch and the little 

 wingless hoppers emerged by myriads. 

 They ate the tender gra.ss and grew rai)idly. 



At this stage a pair of ijuails would re- 

 (juire ten thousand .such insects with which 

 to feed their family for a single day. In a 

 month a tiuarter of a million would l)e 

 devoured, while double this number would 

 scarce suffice for the larger prairie fowls. 



Had the birds been spared these locusts 

 would have been eaten by them before they 

 acijuired wings, and a greater misfortune 

 which was to befall the prairie region would 

 have been averted; but there was not so 

 much as a barnyard fowl or songliird in 

 many localities, all had been destroyed. 



Crops were planted in the spring, seed 

 having been generously contributed, to- 

 gether with food and clothing for the 

 pioneers, by the more fortunate residents of 

 the Eastern states. 



The locusts, in time, became full grown, 

 cast away their baby skins, emerging with 

 wings for flight. They also became more 

 voracious, and a second time every vestige 

 of growing croi)s was swept from the 

 prairies. 



What are we doing today with the 

 quails ? They are slaughtered each winter 

 as soon as the laws permit. The great 

 packing houses encouraging their destruc- 

 tion by boys and hunters, the birds are 

 .shipped to the citie.s, kept in cold storage 

 and thus prevented from destroying the 

 noxious insects which have become so 

 burdensome to the farmer. 



Will we ever learn to know our friends? 



Sample copies of AituoRirrLTiUK are 

 being sent to some who have not subscribed. 

 If you receive a copy we shall be pleased to 

 receive your subscription $2 per annum. 

 This also constitutes you a member of the 

 society. 



.Mr. John D. Ivockefeller and others, while 

 they have given freely to educational and 

 other benefactions, have exceeded all other 

 of their gifts by sujijilying the West w'ith a 

 fuel which is destined to perpetuate the 

 mountain forests. 



I'.rief articles are desired from every por- 

 tion of the cr)untry. Anything of intere.st 

 along the lines of arboriculture. 



•.juvsiums as to management of forests 

 or trees will be answered so far as possi- 

 ble, in the department of Inquiries. 



Dkar Mk. I'.Rowx : I thank you for 

 AuHoiucri/mu;. You are engaged in a 

 much-needed work. 



Yours very truly, 



D. W. Fi.snER, 



I'regident. 

 Hanover College, Hanover, Ind. 



