STATE OF THINGS IN MINNESOTA. 11 



Paul, who had previously been employed by the State of Minnesota to 

 report upon the history, habits, and injuries of the Rocky Mountain 

 locust in that State, was engaged as assistant for that portion of the 

 district. Prof. Samuel Aughey, of the State [Juiversity at Lincoln, 

 was engaged as assistant for that portion of the district. The valuable 

 aid furnished by these two assistants will be shown by reference to their 

 reports which will be found partly in the appendix (Apps. 1, 2 and 8) and 

 partly incorporated in the text. 



While in Minnesota Mr. Thomas prepared and issued the additional 

 questions heretofore alluded to. He was also called upon to give his 

 opinion in reference to the prospects of the season, and, gloomy as these 

 appeared at the time, he did not hesitate to state as his conviction in 

 various publications that the end of the trouble was drawing near. The 

 executive of this State, Governor Pillsbury, entered heartily into the 

 work of the Commission, giving it every encouragement and assistance 

 in his power. 



The following extract from a letter of Mr. Thomas's, published at the 

 time in the Chicago Inter-Ocean^ will give an idea of the locust-status 

 as understood at that time in Minnesota and Dakota : 



I have just visited the southwestern part of Minnesota, spending a short time in 

 making inquiries and examinations in a few of the counties supposed to contain the 

 heaviest deposits of eggs. In some localities, where the eggs were observed in great 

 numbers last fall, but few were to be found in these places, as a general rule. I ob- 

 served in considerable numbers certain coleopterous, hymenopterous, and dipterous 

 larvse, known as locust-egg destroyers. In other places, but a few miles distant, eggs 

 were found in abundance, and mostly sound. The information, so far as ascertained 

 in reference to this portion of Minnesota, agrees in the main with these observations, 

 and thus explains the apparently conflicting reports received. These facta render it 

 probable that, while it is true as a general rule that the locusts will hatch out over 

 the greater portion of Southwestern Minnesota, yet many localities will be compara- 

 tively free from the young ; in other words, the hatching will be uneven throughout 

 this section, and will not be in proportion to the number of eggs deposited. 



The bounty law will probably prove inoperative in the worst-infested counties, as 

 the citizens of these counties feel certain it will entail a debt upon them which will 

 require years to pay ; hence they will not avail themselves of its provisions. 



Hatching has already commenced as far north as Nicollet County, in the warmer sit- 

 uations, and as I passed southwest on the Saint Paul and Sioux City Road, I noticed 

 the prairies in every direction were burning, for the purpose of destroying the young 

 'hoppers. 



Several of the counties of this section lying near and along the western boundary 

 of the State will probably escape serious injury, as but few eggs have been deposited 

 in them. The young have hatched out in considerable numbers around Sioux City, 

 but how far this extends northwest and southeast in this area I am unable to say from 

 positive information. Some have appeared in the extreme southeast of Dakota, but 

 from all I can learn this Territory is not likely to have any considerable portion of its 

 area infested. 



During Mr. Thomas's visit to Nebraska the severe cold storm of the 

 latter part of April occurred, and he was enabled to note carefully its 

 effect upon the eggs and young which were then hatching out quite 

 numerously. 



