[f>8] REPORT UNITED STATES ENTOMOLOGICAL COMMISSION. 



be lar^e enough in another month for them to commence their flight out of the country 

 to their homes north. — [John H. Secrist, Austin, April 9, 1877. 



Advices from Texas say that around San Antonio and Dallas the 'hoppers are swarm- 

 ing and eating up everything eatable. Great destitution is reported in portions of 

 Eastern Texas, some families being upon the verge of starvation. Large numbers of 

 unemployed men with families, who have been thrown out of work in consequence of 

 this locust raid, are now on their way to Saint Louis. — [ TTestern Farm Journal, April 

 12, 1877. - 



Dr. Coleman has probably informed you that grasshoppers, to the number of prob- 

 ably five hundred, settled on his premises on May 1 ; but he may not have told you 

 that at my boarding-place, a hundred yards farther west, none alighted, at least none 

 were observed. — [J. T. Moulton, jr., Calvert, April 12, 1877. 



[Correspondence of Saint Louis Globe-Democrat ] 



Paris, Ajtril 14. — Wheat and corn are doing well. There are no grasshoppers in this 

 section. 



Hempstead, Ajyril 15. — We are free from grasshoppers in our county, or rather they 

 are so few that we have sustained little or no damage from their presence. Between 

 the birds, rains, and strong southeast winds, we hope to get rid of thein entirely. 



Waco, April 16. — Grasshoppers are here in considerable number, and have destroyed 

 many oatfields and some wheat. The growing wheat looks well. 



Ennis, April 16. — There are numerous grasshoppers in this section, and great fears 

 are entertained that the grain crops will be seriously injured. 



Houston, Ainil 16. — Crops in the -lower portion of the State are doing splendidly. 

 Grasshoppers have not done much damage within a circuit of about eighty-five miles 

 from Houston ; last week they were reported to have done a good deal of damage near 

 Austin ; since then they are reported to be moving westward. 



Jacksonville, Ajyiil 16. — The crop is yet too young to make any report, although 

 the present prospects are quite promising ; there is no or very little wheat planted in 

 East Texas, all grown in West Texas ; the grasshoppers are very bad in that section ; 

 none in this. 



Jewktt, April 16. — We have plenty of grasshoppers out ; they seem to be harmless. 

 Grain crops are doing well. 



Litchfield, Ap>ril 16. — Since the warm spell we had in February repeated experi- 

 ments have been made to hatch out the grasshoppers, and in almost every case has 

 been a failure, as most of the eggs seem to be decayed or dried up. Before the warm 

 spell they would hatch out by keeping them in the house near the stove. The farmers 

 are busy putting in their grain, and feel confident of a good crop. The ground was 

 never in better condition than it is at present. 



[Correspondence of tlie Saint Louis Times.] 



Plano, Collin County, Aj^ril 16. — The grasshopper question is now being fully dis- 

 cussed all over our section. The 'ho^jpers commenced hatching about six weeks ago, and 

 still continue to do so. The weather has been very favorable lor planters, and more so 

 for the grasshoppers. The estimate as to the damage done by the latter up to this time is 

 one- third of the oats and wheat and nine-tenths of the gardens. They seem to do more 

 damage on farms which are situated on rolliug lands joining small creeks and the tim- 

 ber. Some farmers say there is a great deal of the early wheat now heading out, and 

 the 'hoppers climb up the stalk during the night and eat oif the head. So if this be 

 the case all the early wheat will be destroyed. Our hope then will be for the 'hoppers 

 to leave in order to leave us the late wheat, but the trouble is they cannot easily get 

 away. Very few of them can fly, and young ones are still hatching out, so I see no 

 hope of any wheat and oats to be left, except in fields which they do not get into. 



I had the finest prospect of a garden in the town, consisting of peas, beans, lettuce, 

 radishes, and numerous other vegetables and plants, which are all eaten up. It looks as 

 if there never was anything planted there. The onions were six inches high when I first 

 discovered the 'hoppers, and in one day and night everything was eaten to the ground, 

 and nothing has come out since. My impression is that the insects j)oison the roots. 

 There are large farms in our section of wheat and oats which are all eaten up ; not a 

 spear to be seen. They look as if nothing had ever been planted there. The cotton 

 will be up by the 15th of May, as most farmers will not plant until late, thinking the 

 'hoppers would leave, but I have no reason to think they will, so I look for the cotton 

 to be damaged to a certain extent. 



The 'hoppers now are taking to the fruit-trees and eating off all the leaves and the 

 small peaches, and, generally si^eaking, taking everything as they go. 



Business is at a stand; nothing doing. One clerk could attend to the whole town 

 nowadays so far as trade and traffic are concerned. 



H. C. OVERAKEE. 



