[106] REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



hoppers, they i)refer to leave. As many more farmers were prepared to leave this week. 

 As this is a sparsely populated county, the depopulation will be plainly noticeable. 

 Representative Oliver has done much to help these x)eople by sending all the seed 

 ijrain he could get hold of at the "posie" department at Washington. 



Malvern, Ajml 25. — The crop prospect here is fine, and farmers are forward with 

 spring work. The ground is in fine order, and some corn has been planted. Grass- 

 hoppers are hatching out freely, but seem to be in spots, and have already ravaged some 

 wheat and oat fields in some localities. It is not believed the damage will be general. 



MuEEAY, Jj^ril 28. — We have no grasshoppers hero. No eggs were deposited. We 

 are having too much wet weather, with prospect of a late spring. Thirty or forty 

 miles west of here there are 'hoppers in abundance, though the late rains have rotted 

 many eggs. — \_From the Saint Louis Globe-Democrat. 



Maeshalltown, May 2. — Wheat is locking nicely. Good prospects for corn, but 

 very little planted. Small fruit is nearly all killed, except strawberries. Grasshop- 

 pers have not visited us, but a few have been brought here to experiment on, which, 

 after being frozen up forty hours in the storm of Saturday and Sunday, were able to 

 sing, " We stood the storm ; it was not long," upon being exxiosed to the sun a short 

 time. 



Sioux City, Woodbury County, May 2. — Reports about grasshoppers from the sur- 

 rounding country are conflicting. It appears from the best information that in some 

 places they are plenty and have damaged young grain and vegetables. Other reports 

 show that they are fast disappearing on account of the wet weather and the parasites. 

 All crops are unusually promising. The area of wheat sown is probably less than 

 last year. 



OxAWA, Harrison County, May 2.-r-The late storms did not injure 'hoppers mate- 

 rially. The blackbirds are here by the million, and are destroying them rapidly. 

 Very little wheat was sown. Farmers feel confident that corn, which is the staple, 

 will not be injured to any extent. A very large acreage of corn is being planted. The 

 farmers are sanguine of good crops. 



Des Moines, Polk County, May 2.— The facts here in regard to grasshoppers arc 

 meager. The late snow-storm has not interfered with them materially. After thaw- 

 ing they come out lively. None within forty miles of here. The late freeze has 

 blasted all small fruit except grapes. Large fruit will also suflfer some. 



Boone, Boone County, May 2. — Grasshoppers are remarkably scarce in this locality, 

 but in Western Iowa, along the line of the Northwestern Railway, they are reported 

 very numerous, and it is said the late snow-storm had no effect in thinning their num- 

 ber. Will make an effort to have complete and reliable report of crops, &c., for Satur- 

 day or Sunday's issue. 



Clarinda, Page County, May 2. — Grasshoppers are scarce in this section, although 

 millions of eggs were deposited. Up to this time but few of the eggs have hatched. 

 Farmers are confident, and the prospect for good crops is favorable, although the wet 

 weather of the last few days caused serious delay. 



Creston, Union County, May 2. — The grasshoppers in this section were mostly 

 killed by the recent cold snaj) and no damage is feared from them. Farmers are hope- 

 ful of good crops, although the recent storm will delay corn-planting. Small grain 

 looks well. 



Red Oak, Montgomery County, May 2.— The recent cold rains and snow storm 

 have proven very disastrous to the 'hopper family in this section. Doubtless millions 

 have been destroyed. It is believed there are not enough left to damage crops to any 

 great extent. Farmers are being somewhat delayed on account of the recent heavy 

 rams, but are jubilant over present prospects for a heavy harvest of all kinds of grain. — 

 lOmalia Herald. 



Le Mars, Plymouth County, May 2. — There are no grasshoppers in this section, 

 and the prospect for good crops was never better. Weather fine. 



Storm Lake, Buena Vista County, May 2.— Storm not severe enough to destroy 

 young grasshoppers, but they are too few to do any damage. Crops never looked 

 better. 



Carroll, Carroll County, May 2.— The storm has killed at least two-thirds of 

 the young grasshoppers. Cold rain now falling will dispose of the balance. Crop- 

 prospects fine. Wheat all in and well up. Large amount of corn planted. — [ Western 

 Farm Journal. 



Since my last communication things present a more hopeful appearance. The un- 

 usual wet spring has, indeed, been our salvation. Thousands of bushels of the 'hop- 

 pers have been Idlled by becoming benumbed by the cold, drenching storms and being 

 drowned in pools and ditches. The bare ploughed fields and the hard, smooth roads 

 are covered with their dead carcasses, and although this destruction has undoubtedly 

 not been so complete in the bluffs and on the high rolling grounds as upon the bottom 

 grounds, yet I can safely say that of all the eggs that have hatched (and nearly all 

 have) much the greater part have been destroyed. Still, although the outlook is 



