﻿PACKARD.] 
  REMEDIES 
  AGAINST 
  THE 
  LOCUST. 
  671 
  

  

  consideration 
  of 
  all 
  concerned, 
  and 
  I 
  earnestly 
  invoke 
  the 
  united 
  and 
  resolute 
  action 
  of 
  

   the 
  people 
  in 
  a 
  manfa] 
  defense 
  against 
  a 
  common 
  enemy: 
  

  

  First. 
  The 
  crushing 
  of 
  the 
  insects 
  by 
  rollers 
  and 
  other 
  implements, 
  and 
  the 
  catching 
  

   of 
  them 
  by 
  bags 
  and 
  traps 
  during 
  the 
  season 
  of 
  copulation 
  or 
  mating, 
  when 
  by 
  reason 
  

   of 
  their 
  stupid 
  and 
  inactive 
  condition 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  destroyed 
  in 
  vast 
  numbers. 
  This 
  

   is 
  the 
  first 
  and 
  vital 
  step 
  toward 
  their 
  destruction, 
  and 
  can 
  be 
  resorted 
  to 
  immediately, 
  

   the 
  insects 
  being 
  in 
  the 
  condition 
  named 
  from 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  August 
  variously 
  

   until 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  cold 
  weather. 
  

  

  Second. 
  The 
  plowing 
  under 
  deex^lj'^ 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  and 
  the 
  thorough 
  harrowing 
  of 
  the 
  

   bare, 
  dry 
  knolls 
  and 
  other 
  comparatively 
  small, 
  warm 
  spots 
  where 
  the 
  eggs 
  are 
  dej^os- 
  

   ited, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  dislodge 
  them 
  from 
  their 
  cells 
  or 
  pods, 
  which 
  destroys 
  their 
  germinating 
  

   power. 
  New 
  breaking 
  being 
  a 
  favorite 
  resort 
  for 
  such 
  egg 
  deposits, 
  this 
  mode 
  of 
  de- 
  

   struction 
  is 
  readily 
  available 
  in 
  the 
  ordinary 
  course 
  of 
  farm-work, 
  for 
  which 
  purpose 
  

   these 
  operations 
  should 
  be 
  delayed 
  till 
  as 
  late 
  a 
  period 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  as 
  practicable. 
  

  

  Third. 
  Co-operative 
  action 
  for 
  the 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  prairie-grass 
  until 
  the 
  proper 
  

   season 
  for 
  its 
  burning 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  extended 
  fire-guards 
  along 
  township 
  

   boundaries 
  or 
  other 
  large 
  areas, 
  to 
  be 
  accomplished 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  plowed 
  strips 
  or 
  by 
  

   wide 
  parallel 
  farrows 
  and 
  the 
  cn,refnl 
  burning 
  of 
  the 
  intervening 
  space. 
  The 
  burning 
  

   of 
  the 
  grass 
  thus 
  preserved, 
  when 
  filled 
  with 
  the 
  young 
  grasshoppers 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  has 
  

   been 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  very 
  effectual 
  means 
  for 
  their 
  wholesale 
  destruction. 
  

  

  Fourth. 
  The 
  placing 
  of 
  loose 
  straw 
  on 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  hatching-places, 
  into 
  which 
  the 
  

   young 
  insects 
  gather 
  for 
  protection 
  from 
  the 
  cold 
  in 
  early 
  spring, 
  where 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  

   destroj^ed 
  by 
  firing 
  the 
  straw 
  at 
  a 
  proper 
  time. 
  To 
  this 
  end 
  straw 
  should 
  be 
  carefully 
  

   saved 
  and 
  not 
  needlessly 
  destroyed 
  at 
  thrashing-time. 
  

  

  Fifth. 
  The 
  construction 
  of 
  deep, 
  narrow 
  ditches, 
  with 
  deeper 
  pits 
  at 
  intervals, 
  as 
  a 
  

   defense 
  against 
  the 
  approaching 
  insects 
  in 
  their 
  infant 
  condition. 
  Into 
  these 
  the 
  

   young, 
  w^heu 
  comparatively 
  helpless, 
  accumulate 
  in 
  vast 
  numbers 
  and 
  perish. 
  

  

  Sixth. 
  The 
  sowing 
  of 
  grain 
  in 
  " 
  lands 
  " 
  or 
  strips, 
  fifty 
  to 
  one 
  hundred 
  feet 
  wide, 
  

   leaving 
  narrow 
  vacant 
  sj^aces 
  through 
  which 
  to 
  run 
  deep 
  furrows 
  and 
  construct 
  ditches 
  

   into 
  which 
  the 
  young 
  grasshoppers 
  may 
  be 
  driven 
  and 
  destroyed. 
  

  

  Seventh. 
  The 
  catching 
  of 
  the 
  insects 
  at 
  various 
  stages, 
  and 
  especially 
  when 
  young 
  

   and 
  comparatively 
  inactive, 
  by 
  means 
  heretofore 
  employed, 
  and 
  by 
  such 
  improved 
  in- 
  

   struments 
  and 
  ijrocesses 
  as 
  our 
  experience 
  may 
  suggest. 
  

  

  Eighth. 
  And, 
  finally, 
  the 
  driving 
  of 
  the 
  winged 
  and 
  matured 
  enemy 
  from 
  the 
  

   ripening 
  grain 
  by 
  passing 
  over 
  it 
  stretched 
  rox^es 
  continually 
  to 
  and 
  fro, 
  aided 
  by 
  

   annoying 
  smoke 
  from 
  burning 
  straw 
  or 
  other 
  smudges, 
  and 
  by 
  loud 
  and 
  discordant 
  

   noises 
  made 
  by 
  striking 
  tin 
  vessels, 
  and 
  by 
  shrieking 
  and 
  yelling 
  with 
  the 
  voice, 
  which 
  

   are 
  said 
  to 
  aid 
  in 
  disturbing 
  the 
  pests 
  and 
  inducing 
  their 
  flight. 
  

  

  Let 
  the 
  common 
  enemy 
  be 
  thus 
  fought 
  at 
  every 
  stage 
  of 
  his 
  existence 
  and 
  at 
  every 
  

   point 
  of 
  his 
  attack. 
  Each 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  modes 
  here 
  prescribed 
  will 
  doubtless 
  aid 
  to 
  

   reduce 
  the 
  grand 
  total 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  destruction, 
  while 
  all 
  of 
  them, 
  faithfully 
  pursued 
  

   in 
  succession, 
  together 
  with 
  other 
  methods 
  to 
  be 
  devised, 
  it 
  is 
  confidently 
  believed, 
  

   will 
  achieve 
  substantial 
  exemption 
  from 
  loss, 
  or 
  avert 
  its 
  saddest 
  effects. 
  But 
  should 
  

   all 
  means 
  fail, 
  there 
  will 
  remain 
  the 
  consciousness 
  of 
  having 
  made 
  such 
  helpful 
  and 
  

   assiduous 
  attempts 
  as 
  deserved 
  success. 
  

  

  The 
  danger 
  of 
  weakening 
  the 
  habit 
  of 
  self-reliance 
  among 
  the 
  people, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  

   difficulty 
  of 
  reaching 
  the 
  most 
  worthy 
  recipients 
  of 
  public 
  aid, 
  renders 
  the 
  distribu- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  seed-grain 
  and 
  other 
  assistance 
  heretofore 
  extended 
  to 
  the 
  sufferers 
  of 
  very 
  

   questionable 
  policy 
  ; 
  and 
  I 
  feel 
  it 
  my 
  duty 
  to 
  warn 
  all 
  j)ersons 
  against 
  relying 
  upon 
  

   public 
  aid 
  of 
  this 
  character. 
  Whatever 
  action 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  by 
  the 
  next 
  legislature 
  

   or 
  by 
  Congress 
  should 
  wisely 
  contemplate 
  future 
  i^rotection 
  rather 
  than 
  indemnity 
  for 
  

   past 
  losses, 
  and, 
  if 
  practicable, 
  should 
  discriminate 
  in 
  favor 
  of 
  such 
  as 
  evince 
  a 
  disjpo- 
  

   sitiou 
  to 
  help 
  themselves. 
  At 
  all 
  events, 
  if 
  aid 
  or 
  succor 
  of 
  any 
  kind 
  or 
  from 
  any 
  

   quarter 
  may 
  reasonably 
  be 
  expected, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  both 
  better 
  deserved 
  and 
  better 
  em- 
  

   ployed 
  after 
  courageous 
  and 
  determined 
  efforts 
  shall 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  for 
  self-protection. 
  

  

  J. 
  S. 
  PILSBUEY, 
  Governor. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  grassbopper 
  conference, 
  Prof. 
  C. 
  D. 
  Wilber 
  made 
  the 
  follow- 
  

   ing 
  important 
  suggestions 
  regarding 
  the 
  remedial 
  measures 
  to 
  be 
  taken: 
  

  

  The 
  objects 
  sought 
  to 
  be 
  attained 
  by 
  this 
  meeting 
  are 
  two, 
  viz 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  securing 
  of 
  national 
  aid 
  in 
  prosecuting 
  inquiries 
  and 
  research 
  concerning 
  the 
  

   locusts 
  in 
  the 
  distant 
  or 
  mountain 
  regions, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  said 
  to 
  originate, 
  with 
  a 
  

   view 
  of 
  ascertaining 
  such 
  facts 
  as 
  may 
  assist 
  in 
  exterminating 
  them 
  at 
  their 
  source 
  or 
  

   native 
  haunts. 
  

  

  2. 
  To 
  discuss 
  such 
  plans 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  advisable 
  in 
  defending 
  the 
  localities 
  now 
  threat- 
  

   ened 
  by 
  them 
  during 
  the 
  coming 
  year 
  of 
  1877, 
  or 
  such 
  regions 
  as 
  are 
  now 
  occupied 
  by 
  

   their 
  eggs. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  as 
  regards 
  the 
  assistance 
  sought 
  for 
  from 
  the 
  Government. 
  The 
  

   emergency 
  is 
  so 
  great 
  and 
  apiilies 
  to 
  so 
  irany 
  millions 
  of 
  inhabitants, 
  aud 
  nearly 
  one- 
  

  

  