chronology: MINNESOTA, 18o(>. 83 



Late in Jaly, 1856, invading swarms came from tbe northwest into 

 the Upper Mississippi Valley, and gradually spread along the river dar- 

 ing the season, much the same as they had done in the past summer, 

 and reaching nearly the same limits. The injury was, of course, felt 

 most severely along the Mississippi and the cultivated region adjacent, 

 but the locusts are said to have appeared along the Minnesota River, in 

 the Yellow Medicine country, and at various points in the northwestern 

 part of the State. It is probable that the northwestern part of the State 

 was swept over by migrating swarms during the summer, much the 

 same as in the present year. But few traces of these were seen the 

 following year, except along the Upper Mississippi, where the damage 

 was even greater than the year before. A general flight took place in 

 July, and the direction of the departure was to the south and south- 

 west generally, and was, perhaps, the occasion of the injury done iu 

 Iowa that year. 



The southward movements of the departing swarms may be inferred 

 from the following statement in the Saint Paul Advertiser, August 1 : 

 "The last number of the Faribault Herald announces their arrival in 

 that section in swarms. They arrived last week and pounced upon every 

 green thing, threatening destruction to ripening crops." The Saint 

 Peter Free Press says of the grasshoppers: "This pest has arrived at 

 last, and, we are sorry to add, is really doing much harm. From all 

 accounts they are much worse back in the country than here. * * * 

 We are glad to state, however, that they appear to be leaving, passing 

 to the east and southward." 



At Mankato the grasshoppers made their appearance in considerable 

 numbers, but did not do any very serious injury. 



Mr. Joseph Flanders, now of Mandelia, relates arriving at the Win- 

 nebago Agency, about twelve miles from Mankato, on the 9th of Au- 

 gust, 1857, and meeting grasshoppers, " moving southeasterly, and many 

 of them flying so low that it was with great difficulty we could continue 

 our journey." 



I ought to have included above the resemblances of the spring of the 

 years 1856-'57 to that of 1876-77. 



1856.— The Saint Paul Weekly Times of July 12, 1856, says : " We 

 regret to learn that the crops are suffering for want of rain, particularly 

 oats and wheat. The shower yesterday will benefit them, but much 

 more rain is needed to prevent a meager harvest." August 2, 1856 : 

 " The oat crop, owing to the June drought, will not yield as plentiful as 

 in former seasons, although a very fair crop may be expected." Mr. M. 

 M. Kellogg, of Saint Paul, who has kept a record of the weather for 

 many years, writes : " From 1837 to 1862, a period of twenty-five years, 

 there was but one drought in Minnesota, and that was in 1856. The 

 drought in this year was not seriously felt, for the little rain that fell 

 was tolerably well distributed through the summer mouths, and indeed 

 the drought seems to have been local and to a considerable extent lim- 

 ited in its range." 



