﻿^2 EIGHTH ANNUAL KEPOKT 



non suffered most. The other counties in the district invaded in 1874, 

 and especially those along^the eastern border of that district, as indi- 

 cated in my map of last year, suffered less. In some of these, as in 

 the extreme northwest counties, the reason may be found in the fact 

 that the winged insects of 1874 did not stay long enough to lay ex- 

 cessive numbers of eggs ; while in those along the eastern border, 

 the reason is to be found in the fact that, as I stated last year, the 

 winged swarms, when they reached this limit, were weakened and 

 decimated: they were the straggling remains of the vast army. But 

 in order to more correctly state the condition, it will be best to par- 

 ticularize by counties, in doing which, I shall endeavor to record the 

 facts as far as possible in the words of residents themselves. 



Atchison County. — The extreme northwest corner of the State, 

 bordered on the west by the Missouri river, with rich rolling prairie, 

 interspersed with timber along the streams, and extensive bottom 

 land — this county suffered severely. Mr. E,. Bottom, of Rockport, 

 made the following report about the middle of May : 



The locusts are takino^ every green thing as fast as it appears above the ground in 

 this part of the county, say ten or twelve miles from the river. Beyond that I am told 

 there is little small grain, vegetables and corn. Mostof the county shows as little sign 

 of vegetation as it did in March, except the trees. All small fruit is gone, they have 

 even eaten the weeds. We are rebreaking our land to sow millet and Hungarian grass 

 and plant corn for fodder, after they leave. If we can't i-aise something in this way 

 this section will be destitute of anything to eat for man or beast. The question is, what 

 shall we do? But few men have money enough to buy corn to do them until they raise 

 another crop. I fully believe if we had commenced in time we could have saved our 

 crops by killing them. I tried m.v best to convince the farmers in my neighborhood 

 but could only get a fevv into it. I am sure 1 have killed more than was hatched on my 

 farm. My plan is to dig deep ditches along the fence in their run with a deep hole at 

 each end of the ditch, into which they pile up and kill each other or smother to death. 

 Holes bored with a post augur is a very good plan. In order to collect them in the 

 ditch I took forty yards of domestic, cut in the middle, made two wings like a partridge 

 net, tacking to stakes every ten feet. Start at one end and stake down at each corner 

 of the ditch slanting inwards, lit down well to the ground so they can't crawl under, 

 this conducts them to the ditch ; get aiiead of them when they start to travel. 1 have 

 tried many plans but this is the best. Coal oil will kill them ; a shallow ditch will do 

 with water in it, and a pint of coal oil poured in Avhen the ground will hold water. 



No general measures of relief were adopted, so far as I have been 

 able to learn. 



Andrew County. — This county, though in the heart of the infested 

 region, suffered comparatively little. Mr. J. H, Smith, of Whitesville, 

 places the damage at 50 per cent, of all crops, and Mr. Jno. White, of 

 Flag Springs, writes me that of the first planting not one acre in a 

 hundred was left in most sections. ^' All the oats. Spring wheat and 

 most of Fall wheat, potatoes, vegetable of all kinds, were eaten 

 down; but with nerve the people went to work and had plenty in the 

 Fall, though a million dollars would not make up the injury." 



