114 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



CHAPTER III. 



STATISTICS OF LOSSES. 



The subject of this chapter is so intimately connected with that of 

 the following that it may In fact be considered a part of it 5 for noth- 

 ing can be presented which will show in a stronger light the blight- 

 ing effect of locust visitations upon the agriculture of the West than the 

 immense loss these cause. But in order to present the subject in as 

 clear a light as possible, it has been thought best by the commission to 

 devote a special chapter to it. As will be seen by an inspection of the 

 figures here given, the losses experienced in the border States have been 

 very heavy ; indeed, we should not be using too strong language if we 

 were to say they are startling. Although we were satisfied from pre- 

 vious examination of the subject that they were large, we have been 

 somewhat surprised at the figures which a careful collation of the statis- 

 tics bring out. Large as the figures show the direct loss to the crops to 

 be, they fall far short of representing the entire loss occasioned by the 

 locusts. The check to business, improvements, and the various indus- 

 trial enterprises J the effect these visitations have of stopping immigra- 

 tion and driving away capital, bring upon these new States a greater 

 loss than tiiat sustained by the crops. A full statement of the subject 

 should therefore include all the losses occasioned by these things, but 

 this can scarcely be reduced to figures or ascertained in dollars and 

 cents 5 hence our only method of conveying a correct idea in reference 

 thereto is to introduce statements from those who have had experience 

 in the locust-ravaged districts during such visitations. 



On account of the great difficulty of obtaining reliable data, where no 

 special arrangement has been made for this purpose — as is generally the 

 case — it is impossible to do more than make an approximate estimate of 

 the actual loss sustained 5 still we believe what we here give may be 

 relied upon as probably as nearly correct as statistics in reference to 

 crops and agricultural products usually are. In Minnesota some at- 

 tempts have been made to gather statistics in reference to the portion 

 and value of the crops destroyed in that State since 1873 -, but with this 

 exception we are not aware that any effort has been made in any of the 

 visited States or Territories to obtain such statistics. 



We have, therefore, within our reach but two methods by which we 

 may arrive at an approximately correct estimate of these losses. First 

 by combining the local estimates of the loss so far as they have been 

 given, and using the per cent, thus obtained as a basis of calculation. 

 But the result of such a calculation would after all be but little better 

 than a guess and of no real value. Instead, therefore, of attempting to 

 ascertain the aggregate by this method, we will present the statements of 



