194 



now rapidly devouring it, in some cases cutting the heads eutirely off. Schuyler: Looks 

 well. Calloway : Badly winter-killed, and the chinches at work on what is left. Crawford : A 

 little late and chinches numerous. Dallas : Injured in some places by the Hessian fly. 

 Hickory : The chinches quite numerous, but not yet doing much damage, owing to wet weather. 

 Dent : Our only hope for wheat is in the red varieties, particularly the " Red May." Tappahan- 

 nock almost a failure. Last fall I turned under 20 acres of meadow, which had been run in 

 timothy seven years, and sowed it in Tappahannock, the seed being perfectly free from cheat, 

 rye, &c. It came up and grew finely, giving every indication of a plentiful crop. Now at 

 least 75 per cent, of it is cheat. In other fields adjoining is the same kind of wheat, and no 

 cheat. Would like to know the cause of the cheat. Jasper : Grasshoppers and chinches 

 doing no damage as yet. Moniteau : Chinches more numerous then ever, but thus far kept 

 from serious damage by frequent showers. Iron : Chinches commencing their ravages. 

 Greene : Promised a large yield up to the 1st of May; since then the Hessian fly has de- 

 stroyed a large number of fields ; most destructive to early-sown ; that sown in November 

 but little aft'ected. Boone : Never before in the county have the depredations of insects been 

 so terrible — chinches, cut-worms, army-worms, and grasshoppers; many wheat-fields eaten 

 up by chinches. Ferry : Has improved rapidly during the last month, and were it not for 

 the army- worm appearing in great numbers, it might be put at an average. Stoddard : 

 Nearly doubled in acreage, and in good condition. Bolivar : A total failure feared, chinches 

 being more than numerous. Vernon : Grasshoppers have entirely destroyed all growing crops 

 in part of the county, and done injury in the whole. Chinches more plentiful than ever before, 

 but kept from damage as yet by rains. Caldwell : The stand of winter-wheat very poor, and 

 what is left full of chinches. Franklin: In exposed localities a total failure from frosts ; in 

 sheltered valleys will be average if the chinches keep off. Jefferson : Will be a third of a 

 crop. Macon: All killed ; not 50 acres left. MiHer : The Tappahannock and Fultz, from 

 the Department, ^looking finely ; the Touzelle not doing much ; too late for this county. 

 Platte : Three weeks ago wheat promised a splendid harvest, but the grasshoppers are upon 

 us more numerous than ever before, and our crops entirely destroyed. Maries: Will be 

 light. . Many have plowed up, and others pasture. Clay : Little left by the grasshoppers. 

 Henry: The great loss is from ravages by chinch-bugs and grasshoppers. Nodaway: A 

 large amount of winter-wheat i^lowed up on account of chess or cheat. Considerable damage 

 by chinches and Hessian fly. Dade : The Hessian fly has made sad havoc of the growing 

 wheat. Laclede: Not over half a crop ; much winter-killed, and the remainder injured by 

 the fly. Pettis : At least one-third frozen out, and the chinch-bugs have appeared by the 

 million. 



Kansas. — Allen: Except some of the uplands, the county stripped of wheat by the 

 grasshoppers. Chase : As we are near the eastern line of total destruction by grasshoppers 

 last year, we are now entirely escaping their ravages, and the prospect for winter-wheat as 

 fine as ever seen. Doniphan: Grasshoppers the only crop fiourishing. ]\'emeha : Injured 

 by young grasshoppers, which are now at work. Brown: Grasshoppers the cause of low 

 condition. Cherokee: Condition, aside from grasshoppers, would be 95 ; reduced by them 

 in some places as low as 20. Craicford : Injured by grasshoppers. Greenwood : Could 

 scarcely be a better prospect for a crop of winter-wheat. Lyon : Much killed by the dry 

 weather in March. Ravages by grasshoppers as yet confined to a small area. Chinches 

 reported, but no damage as yet. Montgomery : Winter-wheat looking remarkably well ; 

 never better. The grasshoppers now flying, and hopes entertained that they will leave be- 

 fore doing serious damage. Rice : Never better; no grasshoppers worth mentioning. Wash- 

 ington : Best prospect for years ; no grasshoppers, and no damage by chinches. Anderson : 

 Less sown than ever before, on account of ravages by chinches last year, and hundreds of 

 acres are entirely cleaned out by grasshoppers. Franklin : Largely destroyed by grasshop- 

 pers. Jackson : Looked well up to the last week in May. Since then the grasshoppers 

 have commenced their ravages. Atchisojt : Greatly damaged by grasshoppers. Neosho : 

 Most of the wheat destroyed by grasshoppers. Jefferson : Nearly all late-sown winter-wheat 

 killed by the severe cold ; grasshoppers at work on what is left. They have eaten nearly 

 all the spring-wheat. Republic: Never since 1869 a promise of so large a yield ; but the 

 young grasshoppers are at work. Douglas : The grasshoppers have already entirely de- 

 stroyed 25 per cent. Marshall : Destroyed by grasshoppers. Butler : Chinches doing much 

 damage on high land ; no grasshoppers. Graham : Spring-wheat looking fine. Leaven- 

 worth: All destroyed by grasshoppers. Miami: All destroyed by grasshoppers. Osage: 

 Badly damaged by frosts, and worse by young grasshoppers. Cowley : Looks fine. 

 JVabuunsee : Very much injured, and a prospect of being wholly destroyed by grasshoppers. 

 Labette : One-third of the coimty already devastated by grasshoppers. Wheat one month 

 ago 100 ; now down to 88. 



Nebraska. — Pawnee : About 20 per cent, taken by the small grasshoppers, which are 

 still at work. Otoe : The cold and snowless winter destroyed most of the winter-wheat. 

 The grasshoppers have already taken a large share of the spring-wheat, and are rapidly 

 destroying the remainder. Boone: Winter-wheat entirely lost by the hard winter and 

 spring. Spring-wheat looking very fine. Richardson : The grasshoppers have made a 

 clean sweep of everything green. Jefferson : Looks well ; but the grasshoppers have done 



