118 EEPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



The statements from our own correspondents will be found in Ap- 

 pendix 20. 



In order to arrive at something like a correct estimate of the absolute 

 loss to crops by locust ravages we have concluded to take the chief 

 crop — corn — in the four States, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa, 

 in the years 1874 and 1875, the first a locust year, the second a full crop 

 year, as a basis. We select these States because they are known to 

 have suffered severely in 1874, and for the reason that the statistics of 

 their crops are given in the annual reports of the Department of Agri- 

 culture without any special reference to the point now under considera- 

 tion and hence are free from any suspicion of a disposition to exaggerate 

 the losses. 



Loss on the corn crop m Kansas^ Nehraslcay loiva, and Missouri in 1874, 

 as shown by reference to the statistical tables in the reports of the Agri- 

 cifltural Department for 1874 and 1875. 



Although it is true, as a general rule, that in these western States 

 each year's crop shows an increase over that of the previous year on 

 account of the increased acreage, yet in this case, a comparison of the 

 crop of 1874 with that of 1875 will not lead us into any great error on 

 this account, as the severe shock received by agriculture in these States 

 in 1874 could not easily be ovecome in a single season, moreover, con- 

 siderable loss was also occasioned by the locusts in 1875 ; in fact, the 

 wheat crop of 1874 was fully equal to that of 1875, because the former 

 was generally harvested before the locusts arrived, while the latter was 

 seriously injured by the young insects. 



We are fully aware of the fact that 1874 was a very dry year and 

 that crops throughout the whole country suffered very materially from 

 this cause, and that on this account the difference between the crop of 

 1874 and 1875 cannot all be attributed to the locusts, in those States 

 visited by them. But, as will be seen by the statistics which follow, we 

 have endeavored to eliminate from the estimate the proportion of the 

 loss attributable to the dry season. To do this correctly we have had to 

 make a special case of Illinois from the fact that it has been shown by 

 estimates from two entirely different sets of data that the loss on corn 

 in this State in 1874 by the chinch-bug was, at least, equal to 32 per 

 cent, of the crop of 1 875. 



Departments^ estimate of the corn-crops of 1874 and 1875. 





1874. 



1875. 



Iowa .. 



Bushels. 

 •115,7-20,000 

 46, 04'J, 000 

 16, 065, 000 

 3, 500, 000 



Bxcshels. 

 16U, 000, 000 





li2>', COO, 000 



Kansas 



76, 700, COO 



Nebraska ... 



28, 000, 000 







Total 



181, 3*4, 000 



39-2, 700, 0. 





181, 334, 000 



AgTegate loss on corn in tliese States 



211, 366, 000 







