406 REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



miles of the eggs of the 'hoppers can be destroyed by concussion of the 

 ground, but it would not surprise me to know, when the experiment is 

 tried, that 25 miles square would be destroyed by one explosion. Now, 

 if one hundred pounds of gunpowder was buried, say three or four feet 

 under ground, and this be ignited after a heavy rain, the concussion of 

 the ground will destroy our small enemies that burrow in the ground for 

 miles." Mr. P. A. Smith, of Lincoln, Nebr., writes: *^ We know the 

 firing of cannon over and the explosion of torpedoes in water will kill 

 fish; that the explosion of shells in time of battle has often been known 

 to paralyze and sometimes kill human beings." Mr. Eobert W. Furnas, 

 president of the Nebraska State Horticultural Society, writes that 

 "burying powder below the surface for its combustion and destruc- 

 tion of insects is simply nonsense, and time and money wasted." 



On the other hand, Mr. A. J Bell, of Mexico, Mo., says that during his 

 residence at Ashland, Ky., he hada small vegetable garden, and noticed 

 that his potato sprouts were covered with potato-beetles and locusts. 

 " There happened to be a local option parade, and an old cannon was 

 used in the vicinity of the garden, for firing salutes. Next morning 

 he had occasion to visit the garden and found all the insects dead, both 

 'hoppers and potato-beetles." 



While we have little faith in the efficacy of concussion as a means of 

 destroying either locust-eggs or young locusts, we were nevertheless 

 desirous of giving the matter trial, and commissioned Mr. Prosper A 

 Smith, of Lincoln, Nebr., to thoroughly experiment and report to us 

 requesting him to avail himself also of the assistance of Professor Au 

 ghey. It turned out that Professor Aughey had tested it with no sat 

 isfactory results in 1875, and after a few fruitless trials further experi 

 meuts were abandoned as " too ridiculous," writes Professor Aughey, to 

 warrant further outlay. 



DIVERSIFIED AGRICULTURE. 



In Chapter lY we have dwelt upon the advantages of diversified 

 agriculture from the locust stand-point, and we desire here simply to 

 lay stress on its importance, nay its necessity. "There is nothing surer 

 than that the destitution in Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas, in 

 1874-75, was fully as much owing to the previous ravages of the chinch- 

 bug as to those of this locust. The Chinch-bug is an annual and in- 

 creasing trouble ; the locust only a periodical one. Now, the regions 

 indicated are, agriculturally, the richest in those two States, and, for 

 that matter, can scarcely be surpassed in the entire country. Consisting 

 of high, rolling prairie, interspersed, as a rule, with an abundance of 

 good timber, this area produces a very large amount of corn and stock. 

 Of cultivated crops, corn is the staple, and, with a most generous soil, 

 it has become the fashion to plant and cultivate little else, year after 

 year, on the same ground. The corn-fields alternate more or less with 

 pastures, and there is just enough small grain to breed and nourish the 





