iNDIANA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 236 



very well knew beforehand, but reports of that kind go very rajiidly, and 

 it is hard to overcome their effects. The injury that has been done by the 

 seventeen-year locust to orchards during the past season, I find to be 

 very slight indeed. It does not amount to anything, practically. The 

 fruit trees that have been injured, the most can be trimmed off, and no 

 harm done to them. 



DISCUSSION. 



President Stevens: Our pear orchards are located on land that sev- 

 enteen years ago was on clay soil or was mixed. The locust came out of 

 the ground all over the orchard. There was timber on two sides of the 

 orchard and the locust left the orchard and went to the timber. 



Professor Troop: That is very frequently the case. They go to the 

 large trees and lay their eggs. However, I saw one small nursery where 

 timber was on three sides of it, the locust came out of the timber and 

 went to the young orchard. Nice place to lay their eggs. 



Those counties that reported no locust we may doubt their return. 

 They may have none at all hereafter. 



A Member: Did anybody report any benefit derived from the locust 

 being here? I have not heard of any. 



A Member: They afforded food in abundance for birds. I never saw 

 a bird in the cherry trees. The birds did not bother the cherries. 



S. Johnson: The birds were very numerous this year. There were 

 more birds around our place than we had for twenty years. The English 

 sparrow and all birds got in their work this year. Where there were 

 plenty of birds the locusts didn't remain long. In our locality you could 

 gather them by the bushel, but the birds soon cleaned them up. 



A Member: Is it true. Professor, that Indiana has more locust than 

 any other State in the Union? 



Professor Troop: I think so; they extend over a greater territory in 

 Indiana than any other State. 



Jos. A. Burton: I am afraid we will get the idea from Professor 

 Troop's reports that the locust is almost harmless. Such has not been 

 my feeling toward them, and I have reason to feel otherwise. Seventeen 

 years ago I had an orchard of twenty-five acres, 1,005 trees, and the ap- 

 pearance of the locust there caused me to have to plant 1,000 of these 



