lokSS to other crops. 121 



Loss on corn $35,600,597 



Loss on potatoes 2, 4 18, 739 



Lobs on other crops.... 17,800,000 



55, 819, 336 



and we have an aggregate loss in the four States mentioned, for the 

 year 1874, by the locusts, of about $56,000,000. 



This estimate we believe is fully sustained by the facts, and if erroneous, 

 it is not because the losses are exaggerated, but for the reason that they 

 are understated. It is certainly much less than any made from local 

 estimates. 



But the actual amount destroyed by the locusts does not give the 

 absolute financial loss to the people of these States. All over and above 

 what is necessary for home consumption changes hands or form, and 

 with each change increases in value. In other words, every dollar's 

 worth of corn thrown into market or converted, by the time it or its 

 resultant leaves the State, has at least doubled in value. Not that the 

 actual price or value of a bushel of corn is doubled, but that the labor, 

 business, trade, &c., it has put in motion has resulted in adding the 

 value of another bushel to the material wealth of the State, and perhaps 

 if we were to say of two bushels, we should not be beyond the fact. 

 The farmers themselves scarcely felt the effect of these losses financially 

 more than the business men and mechanics of these States, and we think 

 it no exaggeration to say that the absolute financial loss by this second- 

 ary effect was fully equal to the direct loss on crops j perhaps even more. 

 If the depreciation in the price of real estate be taken into consideration 

 it was certainly more, but as this will be recovered when the cause of 

 alarm passes away, we have thought best to omit it entirely from the 

 estimate. 



Calculating in this way, we see that the actual loss to these four 

 States in a single year by this terrible scourge amounted to at least 

 $ 100,000,000. 



The loss in Minnesota for this year, although severely felt by the 

 farmers of the western counties, is comparatively small when considered 

 with reference to the production of the whole State. It was estimated 

 by the commissioner of statistics for that State as follows : 



On wheat $2,000,000 



Oats 518,000 



Corn 256,000 



Othercrops 250,000 



Total 3.034,000 



We have no satisfactory statements of losses in any of the other 

 States or Territories for this year, and hence can only guess at them 

 from the very imperfect data we have been able to obtain from published 

 reports and our own correspondents during the past year. The follow- 

 ing statements and estimates in reference to the losses in other years 



