PACKARD.] THE LOCUST IN NEBRASKA IN 1876. 611 



seems to me a matter of national importance, as settlements must retrograde unless 

 the locusts are chocked. They came down upon us July 26-27, doing much damage, 

 but left without consuming everything. August 5 they re-appeared iu great numbers, 

 looking iu the distance like great clouds of smoke. Nearer and over our heads the 

 air appeared to be filled with snow-flakes. Locusts were around, on us, and on every- 

 thing, literally " covered the face of the earth." They began to come about 4 p. m., 

 and the next day they had our fine field of corn stripi)ed. It was like resisting fate 

 to fight them. 'We tried smoking them, covered vines and portions of our garden 

 with hay and blankets, giving the insignificant creatures a sort of hand-to-hand fight, 

 in which they won by sheer force of numbers, and made us glad to retreat into the 

 house. They brought with them an omnivorous appetite, eating things which they 

 passed by iu 1874 — vines of melon, cucumber, squash, pumpkin, &c. 



They took our tomatoes, potato-tops, indeed all our garden. They ate our straw- 

 berry-plants and young fruit-trees; also, our few flowers. Not content with such a 

 varied bill of fare, they forced their way into the house and ate the house-plauts. 

 They staid with us five days, until they had ended their large meal by finishing up 

 everything. Then while wo were planuing to catch them and barrel them up to fat- 

 ten our poultry and swine, a friendly (!) northwest wind carried them off. Owing to 

 the drought the small grain was a failure; the locust harvested the remaining crops, 

 leaving the farmer no reward for his toil. They have visited the country every year 

 since the settlers have come iu, but only in 1874 and 1876 doing serious injury. They 

 have been by far the most numerous this year. It has beeu au extremely hot, dry 

 season, the jirevailing wind south, often hot as from a furnace, and undoubtedly the 

 unnsual season has had much to do with the unusual numbers of the locust. Farmers 

 with their crops harvested are like Othello with his occupation gone. Many have lost 

 faith in the country and are leaving in "prairie schooners." We are about 70 miles 

 from the Union Pacific Railroad. Some turn toward the setting sun, others south- 

 wjird, and others still go, they scarcely know where, in search of employment. It 

 seems like a " sorry" going off to seek one's fortune — a journey in which a supply of 

 hope and enthusiasm is needed. 



According to the Monthly Weather Eeview, grasshoppers were seen 

 at Eichmond, Nebr., flj'iug north on July 2 and 3, and flying with the 

 wind 26th, 27th, 29th, 30th and 31st. August 5, at i^orth Platte, Lincoln 

 County, entire corn-crop destroyed, and in Dawson County one-fourth 

 of crop destroyed ; came from Dawson County to Buffalo County. 10th, 

 Clear Creek, flying southwest ; 11th, northwest ; arrived in immense 

 numbers 18th, and remained rest of month. 11th, alighted in immense 

 numbers at Fremont, Dodge County, and commencedin the corn ; country 

 near Elm Creek, Buffalo County, cleaned out; column moving in a north- 

 west direction, not many miles wide. 12th, very thick at Columbus, 

 Platte County; came down the valley from North Platte, doing but 

 little damage. At Grand Island, Hall County, loss small. 13th to 26th, 

 at Omaha, numerous at times, flying in all directions. 18th to 31st, at 

 De Soto. 23d, at Lincoln, Lancaster County, in vast numbers, but not 

 so numerous as in 1874; passing south and southeast in clouds; corn 

 considerably damaged. 24th to 31st, at Plattsmouth. 25th, iu York 

 County; have left nothing but harvested grain. Plattsmouth, flying 

 about, September 1 to 15. Eichmond, flying north 4th and 0th, north- 

 east 20th, northwest 21st. York: The grasshoppers have called on us 

 again. They came down August 10, from the northeast, and staid two 

 weeks to a day. August 24 they left, going southeast. They have eaten 

 almost everything green, destroying all garden-vegetables and taking 

 the leaves off the trees. The fruit-trees, such as apple, cherry, and 

 plum, are leafing and blossoming again. The plum-trees have ripe 

 fruit and blossoms, which is something I never heard of before. Furnas : 

 Came down in dense clouds from the northeast, so thick as to darken 

 the sun, having the appearance of vast clouds of smoke. Nothing of 

 the kind has equaled this raid since the earliest history of the country. 

 Some have laid eggs. We are compelled, as in 1874, to note an almost 

 total destruction of corn and all late vegetables. Knox: Entirely de- 

 stroyed the corn and garden products antl the oats so badly that many 

 fields were not reaped. Osage: Came August 24, and are still here. 



