﻿OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 71 



liold ! "When they commenced moving in vast armies, and all kinds of orowing crops 

 •disappeared before the black dead line of their advance, threatening destitution and 

 even starvation, a general alarm pervaded the whole community, and many that had 

 treated the matter lightly, began to comprehend the situation and saw at once, that 

 notwithstanding they might be themselves self-sustaining, if they were surrounded by 

 destitute and needy people, they could have no security in what they might call their 

 own. Meetings were called in every school district and committees appointed to ascer- 

 tain the true condition of every family and report to the county committee, which was 

 provided with a contribution "fund to provide seed and supplies for all that needed aid 

 till something could be raised for the support of man and beast. With all the crops of 

 wheat, rye, oats, flax, clover, corn, gardens and pastures consumed in defiance of every 

 ]uiman eftort to stay the general devastation (say up to the 1st of July), the fields being 

 as bare as the public roads ; the outlook was gloomy beyond description. Many gave 

 up in despair and left the county. 



The following from a correspondent to the St. Louis Glohe-Demo- 

 crat of May 28, may be taken as a fair statement of the condition of 

 things : 



But now, within a month they have become multiplied millions upon millions, 

 traversing the whole countrj% spreading themselves in all directions, going to and fro; 

 and I may safely say there is scarcely a square yard in the county which can claim ex- 

 emption "irom their ravages. Pastures have been stripped of herbage, oat and wheat 

 fields have been swept, gardens are bare of any growing vegetable, and the cornfields 

 are alike destitute of indications that anything has been planted. The small fruits are 

 irrevocably gone, and the larger fruits are now becoming a prey to their devouring 

 powers. They swarm into the houses, hopping and climbing in every place that is 

 not absolutely closed against them. No one who has not seen them can have a con- 

 ception of their amazing number. They have been destroyed in all possible ways — by 

 lire, by ditching, and various other modes — in bushels beyond computation, and vet 

 they are the same ubiquitous host. So great is the dearth of anything upon which 

 cattle may feed that they are daily being removed to distant counties and ranges where 

 pasturage can be had. The condition of affairs is indeed gloomy, and much solicitude 

 is felt in regard to the issue. Many are disposed to yield to despondency, but the larger 

 number of our people are still resolute and hopeful. There will, of necessity, be many 

 cases of destitution, but we hope to be able to provide lor all such, and not apply for 

 aid from abroad until we have exhausted our own resources. The situation is by no 

 means desperate. An occasional field has been lightly touched, and the corn, which is 

 the real staple of the country, though constantly eaten oft' as fast as the blade appears, 

 it is thought has sufiicient vitality to cause it to grow when the pest disappears, and 

 even it it does not a fair crop may be secured by planting a quickly maturing variety 

 ■even as late as the 1st of July. 



A Farmers' Delegate Convention was held at Independence on the 

 26th of May, and was largely attended, 750 being present. They 

 adopted resolutions reciting the destruction of all crops, fruits, 

 meadows, etc.; that in consequence of the short crops of the two pre- 

 ceding years, farmers had not means to prevent suffering or provide 

 seed for replanting ; calling upon the people to meet in the school dis- 

 tricts on the next Saturday, to make lists of persons needing aid ; call- 

 ing upon the county court to provide for such persons; appointing a 

 delegation to visit the State Board of Equalization, and ask a reduction 

 of fifty per cent, on the assessment of 1875; appointing a committee 

 to wait on capitalists and banks and negotiate for money to pay for 

 «eed and relief; that the people of Jackson county will help each 

 other to the utmost extent, and in case that is not adequate, will call 

 on the Governor to convene the Legislature to provide further relief; 



