431 



reported in Lincolu, Montgomery, Warren, Wilson, Giles, Dickson, and 

 Cheatham. 



Grasshoppers {CaJoptenus spretus) still continue their ravages west of 

 the Mississippi River. They are reported in Palo Pinto, Cooke, and Gil- 

 lespie, Texas ; in Wright, Sibley, Rock, and Watonwan, Minnesota ; in 

 Lyon and Plymouth, Iowa ; in Cass, Lawrence, Platte, Pettis, and Jas- 

 per, Missouri ; in Leavenworth, Clay, Pawnee, Neosho, Allen, Bonrbon, 

 Brown, Crawford, Douglas, Ellsworth, Jackson, Ottawa, and Woodson, 

 Kansas ; in Webster, Thayer, Osage, Lincoln, and Cass, Nebraska ; 

 in San Luis Obispo, California ; in El Paso and Weld, Colorado. 



The following from Labette County, Kansas, will give some idea of its 

 ravages : 



The farmers in my county had their laud for wheat prepared in good time, and in a 

 better condition than I ever saw. On the 6th of September the grasshoppers made their 

 appearance all over the county. Farmers became alarmed and did not sow any wheat. 

 About the 18th to the •20th they appeared to go away. Farmers commenced sowing, 

 and got in about two-thirds of their crop. On the 28th and 2yth they came the second 

 time, filling the air, reminding one of a snow-storm in December. Some who had 

 sown early had wheat up nice, but you cannot find a spear in any place. Wheat which 

 was sown before the grasshoppers came the first time has been eaten down, until the grain 

 has finally ceased to grow. I am candidly of the opinion that every acre which is sown 

 to-day in this county will have to be sown again. There is no other chance for it, and 

 the great trouble will be that so many of our farmers have sown allt heir seed and are 

 not able to buy again. And what will they do ? Some who have not been two years on 

 their claims are leaving them and going over into Missouri and Arkansas to winter — to 

 find something to live uiJon. 



CHEMICAL MEMORAiNDA. 



By Wm. McMurtrie, Chemist. 



Curious deposit of phosphatic material. — Some months ago 

 Judge W. Schley, of Savannah, Ga., sent to this Department a sample 

 of material with a statement to the eftect that it had been discovered in 

 considerable quantity in a cave near the city above mentioned. He gave 

 no further description of its location or surroundings, but the sample 

 sent was nearly white, pulverulent, becoming lumpy upon compression, 

 and appeared to be the result of deposition. Preliminary tests led to 

 the conclusion that it was of considerable agricultural value, and we 

 consequently made a complete analysis, which determined the following 

 composition : 



Chlorine Trace. 



Nitric acid Trace. 



Carbonic acid Trace. 



Moisture IG, 10 



f containing 0.119 

 I per cent, nitro- 

 Organic matter, -i gen, equivalent 

 I to 0.1445 per 

 l^ cent, ammonia, 16. 2.5 



Insoluble silica, sand, &c 6. 20 



Soluble silica 0. 60 



Lime 14. 32 



Magnesia 3. 43 



Alumina 13. 53 



Peroxide of iron 7. 34 



Soluble phosphoric acid 8. 40 



Insoluble phosphoric acid 6. 10 



Potassa 2. 53 



Soda 0.375 



Sulphuric acid 3.87 99.045 



The high percentage of soluble phosphoric acid in this material 

 is somewhat surprising, yet this, together with the fair percentage 

 of nitrogen and potassa it contains, and its very favorable mechanical 

 condition, renders it immediately available for application to the soil for 

 almost any kind of crops. The planters of the section may consider 

 themselves fortunate in having in their midst so valuable a source of 

 fertilizing material, if, indeed, development shows that it exists in large 

 quantity. 



