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papper, are especial favoi'ites. Tlio tonderest vegetation is always de- 

 stroyed first. Our fine crops of autumn wheat were completely eaten 

 up in the space of two hours. They are known to eat nearly every- 

 thing of the vegetable kind, even to the dr\^ bark on trees, and dry 

 lint of seasoned fencing plank, as well as dry leaves and paper and all 

 kinds of cotton goods and woollen clothing; and I have even seen a 

 Jltck of sheep literally covered with them devouring the wool. 



"Soon after these insects came upon the ground, they concen- 

 trated along the roads and upon any bare earth they could find, pre- 

 ferring the short vegetation common in such places to the hard prairie 

 grass. In such situations and in cultivated fields, the most of their 

 myriads of eggs were deposited. They continued laying till the se- 

 vere winter weather killed, them. The eggs were deposited to the 

 depth, generally, of one inch ; although, in loose earth where vegetable 

 roots were found, some were placed as far down as ten or twelve inches, 

 according to the length of the root which was followed down and 

 devoured, the Grasshopper emerging after having laid its eggs. 



"On north hill-slopes the process of hatching was much retarded. 

 It was supposed by the people generally, that the severe winter would 

 utterly destroy the posterity of these creaures in this vicinity; but it 

 did not, as the developments of spring fully testified, though perhaps 

 not more than one-fourth of the eggs withstood the weather a];id pro- 

 duced Grasshoppers. Some of them commenced hatching as early as 

 the last of February, when there were a few warm days, Avhich brought 

 forth those lying on the top of the ground. In March the weather 

 was so severe, that a large proportion of the remaining eggs perished, 

 the thermometer frequently indicating 18 degrees below zero. Judg- 

 ing from the voraciousness of those that did appear, / doubt not Kan- 

 sas would have been made a perfect desert if all had lived. 



"About the 10th of April the young grasshoppers began to ap- 

 pear in myriads, and farmers grew alarmed. In Salt Creek Valley, 

 where the best farms of the State are located, not only are the 

 ordinary grains devoured, biit the finest timothy and blue-grass mead- 

 OAVS are entirely killed out. Farms, however, lying next to timber 

 and brush, fairly escaped, owing to the supply of vegetation thus 

 afforded, and the constant fright given to the insects by workmen. 

 When once driven from a place, they scarcely ever voluntarily return, 

 as I demonstrated this spring in saving a garden and potato patch. 

 This was done by taking bushes and driving the grasshoppers out at 

 about 11 o'clock a. m., and again near sunset. They are very de- 

 structive during the night, and should always be driven off before 

 sunset. 



