218 MEANS OF DESTROYING THE GRASSHOPPER. 



•winged insects, for instance, the evil is by no means done away with, 

 hut is renewed in a great measure the succeeding year. The locusts, 

 too, are consumed with a great waste of time, labor, and combusti- 

 ble material ; whereas they would necessarily die in a few days, and, 

 by copiously manuring the fields laid waste, would in a measure com- 

 pensate proprietors for the damage they had sustained. 



In the province of New Russia the destruction of locusts, in the 

 year 1855, was effected, according to the testimony of Col. Tshern- 

 javski, in the following manner : 



In the district of Leoff a commencement was made on the 20th of 

 May,* by digging around the young locusts small trenches connected 

 with the river Prutli. Having partitioned off a space of some 5,400 

 acres, all the grass was mowed off, and the locusts burnt up with it. 

 Besides this, both morning and evening,, in other places where the 

 locusts had accumulated in the greatest numbers, they were trampled 

 down in different circles by troops of horses. f This was done by a 

 draft on the five jurisdictions or townships, consisting of about 705 

 laboring men per day, who relieved each other for seven days. The 

 Bulgarian colonies also furnished 300 Bulgarians, who worked at ex- 

 cavating the ditches. This activity continued for just thirty days, 

 till the locusts were all destroyed. In destroying the locusts in the 

 LeofF district the inhabitants consequently expended 22,950 days' labor. 



In the Bulgarian colonies the same means were used, only with this 

 difference : that, for the more convenient passage of the locusts to the 

 excavated trenches, cross-paths were cleared in the grass with spades 

 and pick-axes. On account of the deficiency of combustible materials, 

 more locusts were crushed here than burnt. This cost the Bulgarian 

 colonies 23,000 days' labor. 



In the Tatarbunar jurisdiction of Akkerman district the footed 

 locusts were mostly crushed out with brooms, in which were expended 

 20,000 days' labor. 



In the Olonesh jurisdiction of the same district about 6,000 days' 

 labor was spent in the same way for this purpose. 



In the Bender district, in the government of Izmail, and in the 

 German colonies, the same measures were adopted ; but the number of 

 laborers is not known. Col. Tsherujavski assumes approximately that, 

 in all these places, more than 80,000 men were employed, to say nothing 

 of the droves of horses and the various vehicles. All this, being done 

 in the height of the working season, had the effect of retarding and 

 diminishing the sowing of spring grains and the making of hay, be- 

 sides causing the neglect of other farm labors and the accumulation 

 of arrearages to government. Furthermore, although by means of 

 this costly labor a considerable part of the locusts were destroyed, and 

 the hope of saving the remaining grain was for a while indulged in, 

 yet the event turned out quite otherwise. The locusts left behind in 

 various places, having acquired wings, spread themselves over all the 

 fields in such multitudes, that their former diminution, which seemed 



« Evidently too late, as the locusts were already sufficiently strong and lively to escape 

 from the danger. 



I An exceedingly inefficacious means. 



