225 



Just what this loss will amoimt to it would be difficult to ascertain. It 

 has been variously estimated at from one-third to one-half the value 

 of the corn crop for fodder, and doubtless the first figure represents 

 approximately the loss. In addition to this there will be a greater or 

 less shrinking of the corn in the ear from the loss, or partial loss, of 

 its leaves, but in most cases this will be slight, since, as stated above, 

 the corn was far advanced before the leaves had been injured to any 

 great extent. 



Outside of the locality above mentioned these insects also occurred 

 in destructive numbers, but in nuich more restricted areas, and the 

 injury occasioned by them was principally confined to the outer rows 

 of corn in fields adjoining clover or grain fields after these had been cut. 

 Later in the season, as soon as the grasshoppers had acquired wings 

 they dispersed over the cornfields, and the injury occasioned by them was 

 therefore not so noticeable as at an earlier period, when they fed from 

 day to day in nearly the same spot. This area in which they occurred 

 in more or less restricted localities is comprised in a stretch of country 

 about ten miles east and west by twelve miles north and south. 

 As stated above, this entire territory was not overrun, but within it 

 they occurred in destructive numbers in several more or less restricted 

 localities. It could not be learned that thej' occurred in such numbers 

 at any point outside of this territory. 



Breeding grounds. — All indications point to the fact that these grass- 

 hoppers issued from eggs deposited the present season in grain and 

 clover fields within the infested districts. It was the universal testi- 

 mony of the farmers in the infested localities that at the time of cutting 

 their wheat, about the middle of June, the young insects were present 

 in the wheat fields in large numbers, and even as late as the last week 

 in August the young, recently-hatched individuals were still to be found 

 even in the more central portions of these fields. On the other hand, 

 none of them could be found in the central portions of the larger corn- 

 fields. When occurring at all in such fields they were always most 

 abundant along the outer edges, indicating that they had originated in 

 an adjoining field. It was also the testimony of the farmers that they 

 had not observed any of the wingless ones in the more central portions 

 of their cornfields. 



In the clover fields the conditions were the same as in the wheat 

 fields, the recently-hatched specimens being present even in the central 

 portions of the largest fields, some of which were twenty-five acres in 

 extent. 



In the woodlands no recently-hatched larvje were observed, except 

 along the outer edges adjoining grain and clover fields. Even the 

 winged individuals did not penetrate far into the woods, but contented 

 themselves with " roosting " in the trees along the outer edges at night, 

 where they would be within easy reach of the cultivated fields upon 

 which to depredate the following day. 



